Beyond the Barricade
by ilovemusic'forever
Summary: "Beyond the Barricade, is there a world you long to see?" What happens if Éponine lives? What will happen to her battered, complicated relationship with Marius? What will happen of Marius and Cosette? Will there be a life beyond the barricade for Éponine and Marius? And what does a bitter Cosette have in store for the pair?
1. Chapter 1

**Hello!**

**Since I love Marius and Eponine, I'm just going to write a story about what would have happened if Éponine lived!**

**This is just wishful thinking!**

**Of course, this is going to be Marius/Éponine, from day one, so any Marius/Cosette fans, look away now!**

**Enjoy!**

...

Marius gulped, disbelieving. Éponine, she couldn't be gone! Éponine...'Ponine, she was brave, determined, fierce...Éponine couldn't be taken down! 'Ponine would fight, she wouldn't let this take her down!

But as the trembling schoolboy looked down upon his limp best friend, any small glimmer of hope in the dark night of the revolution had been shattered.

"Éponine..." he whispered, as his tears engulfed him. "No, 'Ponine..."

"Marius."

The boy looked up and saw two revolutionaries. He was grieving for his best friend, and too distraught to care who they were. All he registered was that they tried to take away his Éponine.

"Éponine..." he whispered softly as she was carried away.

...

As Enjolras and Joly carried the girl through the streets of their beloved Paris, through the quiet streets, past all the people who peeped out their windows, their thoughts patrolled angrily about both their heads.

"What do we do, Joly? Where do we take her?"

"Well, we need to get her somewhere clean, and quiet, and under a roof. Then I'll check her wounds and I can only try my best sir. She wasn't in the best health before she got shot, there's a high chance her weak body won't cope. By the looks of those, her body's already been broken enough." He jabbed his thumb in the direction of the bruises that decorated her.

Enjolras shook his head. "What do you mean, Joly? I thought she was dead, did you not see the look on that lovesick fool's face? "

"Yes, I did," Joly chuckled. "And I think it's going to be very... interesting to watch Marius when they see each other again."

"So, she is living? We'll take her to mine!" Enjolras upgraded to a brisk walk to his apartment.

"Of course she is, Enjolras. She simply passed out from the pain. And we must not tell Monsieur Marius."

"Why forever not?! He'll be dying without his best friend."

"Best Friend?" Joly raised his eyebrows. "Understatement aside, that was my point. He'd be distracted the whole way through the revolution. He'd want to get back to her, and then he'd regret leaving the fight, the cause and his friends behind after. Now the boy can realise his real feelings for the girl."

"Which are?" asked Enjolras, throwing open the door to his apartment. He ran through the hall, and to the spare bed, laying down the girl.

"Later, Enjolras, such things are not important right now. I must go and get towels and water," he shouted, already half way down the hall, already halfway to his apartment.

Enjolras looked down at the girl with a strong feeling of pity. She had nearly died fighting for the love of her life, while he was fighting for the love of his life.

He suddenly felt a strange awe of the gamine. Despite the grumbling stomach, the father with a bad reputation, that girl...Colette? Despite her empty pockets, and the lack of love shown towards her, she fought, fought through the barricade, through the Friends of the ABC, through the stares that Marius received from his "family and friends" when seen with Éponine, through everything that went wrong in her life.

And Enjolras had an overwhelming respect for the girl. Suddenly, he heard his door slam close.

Joly bounded through his hall, into Enjolras' room and over to the spare bed.

"Any progress?"

"Still sleeping."

Joly nodded and placed the basin of hot water on a small side table and dipped the towels into it. He opened the buttons on her shirt, and unwrapped most of the bandages, making sure to leave on enough to protect what little respect t he girl had for herself.

"I'll go fetch Madame Ophelie."

Joly nodded, and continued cleaning Éponine's wounds.

Enjolras ran through his large apartment, and when after a minute or so he couldn't find his housekeeper, he ran down to the markets.

The streets were deserted, civilians too scared to come out incase the revolution would carry over near them and they would get caught up.

He couldn't see Opheliee anywhere. He found her ten minutes later, creeping through the Parisian streets, trying not to get noticed. Her wispy grey hair surrounded an aged, wrinkled, yet beautiful face that was contorted in fear.

"Ophelie!" he whispered.

The older housekeeper's head shot up, and she looked around. The fear on her face dissolved upon seeing it was only Enjolras.

"You gave me quite the fright! I was just returning from Marianne's. What is it you need?"

"I have a young girl, a friend of a friend, in my apartment. She has been injured, and Joly is attending to her right now, but I need to return to the barricade!"

"Don't you worry, young man, I'll be with her soon enough. You just go to that barricade you talk so fondly of," she smiled.

Enjolras nodded, grinning and ran over to give the woman a fierce hug.

"Hurry off, boy! You'll be late!" she ordered.

Enjolras ran off into the night, disappearing into the darkness.

The old woman chuckled and briskly walked to Enjolras' apartment.

All of Madame Ophelie Bonnet's children, 3 boys and a girl, had moved on to other parts of Europe, only one of them staying in France, and in a place far away from Paris. She was very glad they'd moved on with successful careers far away from the Paris slums. She, however, had a job, and would feel lost without the comforting streets of Paris. Not long after her husband passed away, she discovered a young, charismatic man looking for a housekeeper, and never looked back.

In absence of her children, and grandchildren, she viewed Enjolras as family. And he, in the absence of a family that respected his views, saw Ophelie as somewhat of a mother or aunt.

She soon reached his apartment, and hurried in, where she spotted Joly running from the bathroom with a basin of hot water.

"Hello, dear boy! Where is she? How is she?"

"Follow me, in his room. Her name is Éponine, and she's been shot in the chest. I cleaned her wound up, and gave her medicine that I found in the kitchen, and she's been sleeping. She seems to be doing alright. I was just about to bandage her."

Ophelie could tell the boy was just itching to get back to that barricade that Enjolras talked about so often.

"Go on, I'll wash her and bandage her. I'm a mother, I'm not completely clueless when it comes to taking care of children," she smiled warmly.

Joly nodded. "Thank you! The medicine I used is still sitting out on his table in the kitchen, bandages are on her bed. If she wakes up, tell her she's been shot, but she's being taken care of, the boys are at the barricade, and she's going to be okay," he rushed and ran, before the women could change her mind.

As much as Joly loved taking care of others, as much as he valued and respected Éponine, he was a wreck away from the highly anticipated revolution. 'Relax, Joly!' he scolded himself. She was in good hands.

He smiled to himself. Marius had truly looked distraught. Everyone had seen through Éponine within an hour of seeing her around Marius, but not one person had seen through Marius. He saw how fond he was of the girl, even if she was only his 'best friend.' From what he heard about this blonde, she was nothing but a distraction, a light in the dark of the revolution. She was only an infatuation, a way out of the misery that surrounded the lives of him, his friends, and Paris in general.

Joly grinned wider. If they got through this battle, if they lived, he would stand by the words spoken to Enjolras earlier.

It would be _very_ interesting watching Marius and Éponine after this.

...

**I'm not sure whether or not to continue this, depends on the reaction! It could work as a one-shot, but if you want more I'm happy enough to give you some!:)**

**I've decided that I'm going to try and make all of the OOC's names mean something that is relevant to the story/their personality. This started with Madame Ophelie Bonnet, Enjolras' elderly housekeeper.**

**Ophelie = Help/Succour (succour meaning****assistance in time of difficulty)**

**Bonnet = From the Latin given name Bonitus meaning 'Good.'**

**Because, she is going to be very helpful in Éponine's recovery and I plan on making her the nicest person ever! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**I've just realised how many mistakes I made in the last chapter. I had originally named Ophelie as Nicolette, a name meaning Victory of the People. But it just didn't fit, it seemed too young, too pretty, for an old woman with a long life. Also, I'm not sure if she's on board with the cause yet, so Victory for the People could be irrelevant in regards to her beliefs, and Ophelie just seems to suit her better!**

**Perhaps we'll have a Nicolette appear along the way...**

**Anyway, I am blown away with the response! Thank you for all the reviews!**

**On with the next installment!**

...

Éponine opened her eyes to a dark room, with a little light peeping in through small windows, half obscured by battered curtains. She didn't recognise this room at all, nor have any idea who owned it. It definitely was not any of her father's gang, or any of her kind of people. This room was once grand, but whoever owned seemed to have no interest in having a nice bedroom. As Éponine tried to sit up, she mused that with a little care and decoration, this room could be beautiful.

Suddenly a shart burst of pain hit her chest and she winced, gasping and lying back down on the bed. Seconds after, a short, old woman, with wispy grey curls around her face and a pretty, red dress on bustled into the room with a tray.

The small tray carried a glass of water, a bottle of medicine, a spoon, some cheese and slices of bread. The old woman, unknown to Éponine, hurried over and set it down on the table beside Éponine's bed.

Ophelie looked up to see her Éponine staring at her, both confused and wary.

"I suppose you'll be needing an explanation," the old women smiled at Éponine. "I'm Madame Ophelie Bonnet, but you can call me Phillie."

Éponine nodded, and smiled right back. She had no idea who Madame Ophelie 'Phillie' Bennet was, but she looked so warm and welcoming. Her smile lit up both her aged, beautiful face, and the room. Already, she was one of the kindest people in Éponine's life. Although, Éponine thought, that wouldn't be too hard.

"You've been shot, but you're being taken care of dear. All your boys are at the barricade, and you're going to be just fine! At least, that's what Monsieur Joly says. Although, you've been out for two days, so they're probably not there anymore."

"Joly was here? And wait, two solid days?" asked Éponine, confused.

"Oh yes. Monsieur Enjolras too..." at this she laughed. "Oh, woops, dear, you're probably wondering who in the name of God I am. I'm Monsieur Enjolras' housekeeper. I've been looking after you, but it was Joly who first sorted you out. I've just been checking on you. And there wasn't alot of need, you haven't peeped for two whole days," she grinned.

"Thank you, Mademoiselle," replied Éponine, atempting to sit up, yet met by another bout of pain. She gasped sharply.

"Oh, just sit back down dear, 'til I get you your pain medicine, then you should be fit to sit up. And there will be no Mademoiselle, I thought I told you to call me Phillie," she laughed, reaching over to pick up the medicine and the spoon. She poured a large amount, and gave it to the girl.

"Drink up. It's horrible, but I promise it's worth it! I've water here, and then you can have your food."

Éponine took the medicine, and drank it in one go. She was tough, one spoon of medicine wasn't going to stop her from getting better. She simply had to get better, she decided.

But that didn't mean she was going to enjoy the medicine. She quickly reached for the water and smiled her thanks when Phillie gave it to her. She quickly raised it to her rough lips, and drank it all down. She coughed, and then placed down the water. Eyeing the water as she put it down, that was the first time she noticed her attire. She looked down at a pretty, lilac dress, that she felt was wasted on her thin, dirty body.

"Oh, I changed your dress dear. I needed to, your old dress was covered in blood, and it was going to dirty your wounds even more. I gave you a bath, and washed your hair. I must say you're a very pretty lady, Éponine," rambled the woman as she went to open the curtains more, revealing a full blast of light,

Éponine blushed, and looked down. Her hands were, in fact, clean. Her nails no longer hid years of dirt, her skin was now a perfect tan, like it had always been beneath the grime. She reached up and felt her hair. It was soft, and she could easily comb her newly-cleansed hands through it, unlike before when her hair was a bush of tangles.

"Thank you, Mademo- Phillie!" gushed Éponine, grinning. The pain was already beginning to subside, and her new cleanliness, and the carer who she was already so fond of, were putting her in a much better mood than she was of late.

And then she was reminded of the reason for her misery of recently...

"Marius?" whispered Éponine. She was almost certain the boys wouldn't have mentioned Marius, and that the woman would have no idea how he was. But she could only try.

"What about him? I haven't seen him recently, he was over a few times. Lovely boy that, don't you think?"

Éponine gulped, nodding, already nervous and scared again. Marius couldn't be gone! Even if it was Cosette he'd run straight to after getting out of the barricade, Éponine still couldn't help but wish for his safety...

Éponine began frantically praying, promising God a hundred different things in exchange for her Marius' safety.

...

Meanwhile, all the Friends of the ABC that had survived were gathered at the ABC cafe. All sort of gives a false impression. It was only Marius, Enjolras, and Joly who survived to tell the tale. They were sitting around one table, drinking away their sorrows. All the bodies of their friends...Grantaire, Coufreyac, Gavroche, Combeferre, Barohel...They were all laid down beside each other in the street, in peace at last.

Finally, Joly spoke up. "Well, I suppose I should go check on Éponine," he started, with a nervous glance at Marius, who had his head buried in his arms on the table.

Marius' head shot up. "Éponine?! What do you mean?"

"Um, Marius, she's alive, and recovering at Enjolras' house, with Madame Bonnet."

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" asked the grieving schoolboy, his face now alight with hope and pushing his chair under the table.

"I thought you were planning on going to see Cosette soon?" asked a confused Enjolras.

"I thought 'Ponine was dead, of course I'm going to see her first! Cosette can wait!"

Joly lead the way with a smug smirk on his face and turned a sideways glance at Enjolras, who was walking along beside him with a raised eyebrow.

"Told you," mouthed Joly.

Enjolras chuckled to himself for the first time in weeks and they proceeded out of the building.

Marius quickly overtook and ran all the way to Enjolras', excited to see Éponine after forty-eight hours of grieving for her.

Enjolras and Joly ran after, afraid to leave Marius alone. They were all grieving the loss of at least a dozen friends...The boy wouldn't be thinking straight, who knew he wouldn't take a wrong turn, or do something stupid?

Upon trailing after Marius the whole way to his apartment, Enjolras pulled out his key to his house. Marius stood behind him, nearly bouncing with excitement and happiness, and Joly leant against the wall beside the door, the smug smirk from earlier only increasing by the minute.

As Marius bound through the door with a raspy shout of "EPONINE!" Joly turned to Enjolras.

"Didn't I tell you he loved her?"

"Nothing's for certain! You would be this happy to see one of our friends come back to life!" He felt a sudden stabbing near his heart as he thought of all the lifeless bodies that littered the streets of Paris, but comforted himself with the thought that they all died for a cause, for a reason, knowing full well there was a high chance they wouldn't live to see the morning.

Enjolras resolved then and there to work for their cause until he sweat, every day 'til he died. They had to have died for a reason, and he would make sure there was some good that came out of their deaths.

He then arrived in his bedroom, to find his best friend and his young gamine friend in a bear-tight embrace.

...

Éponine was lying in bed, ravishing her bread and cheese as if she hadn't eaten for weeks. In truth, that was no saying, she truly hadn't eaten a proper meal for years.

"ÉPONINE!"

Éponine's heart jumped. Her battered heart was programmed to recognise that silky, manly voice. Her heart had yearned for that voice to whisper sweet nothings into her ear in the dead of that night. She had yearned for that voice to tell her he loved her, lying beside her in bed on long Saturday mornings. She had longed to hold long conversations with that voice about Politics, Art, History, things she knew little of, yet yearned to learn about. She yearned to hear that voice call after their children in the park.

And now he was calling her name, desperately.

Marius hurried in through her door and rushed over to her bed, a wide, lop-sided grin on his face. He sat on her bed and pulled her into a tight hug, kissing the top of her head over and over again.

" Oh, 'Ponine! I thought you were dead and...I didn't know how I could live without my best friend! And Joly and Enjolras only told me five minutes ago, I lived two days thinking you were dead, they were the worst two days of my life! Oh, 'Ponine, I'm so glad you're alive!" he rambled.

"Stop it, Monsieur," she giggled. "You're making me blush." True to form, her cheeks were now a bright red.

"Dear 'Ponine, I've told you many times, it's Marius!"

"Yes, you have Monsieur," she retorted, grinning.

"Éponine! It's Marius," he smiled, hugging her tightly again.

Éponine drew a sharp gasp, and cringed, recoiling slightly, for he'd squeezed around her stomach, and her chest was still painful, as the medication still hadn't fully kicked in.

"Oh, 'Ponine, forgive me! I simply did not remember you were injured...Where are you hurt? Oh, lie back 'Ponine, I'll get pillows for you, I'll get you water-"

"Oh, hush Monsieur! I'm fine, I don't feel any pain!"

Marius chuckled. "The last time you said that, 'Ponine, you passed out and I thought you were dead, and it was honestly the worst experience of my life. I will not take that risk again!"

"My supposed last moments were the worst experience of your life, Monsier?" she teased, mocking offence.

Marius, thinking her attempt at making him seem silly was real offence, was quick to comfort her. "Oh God no, 'Ponine! Thinking you were dead, that was! Those were the best last moments anyone could-"

At this, Éponine burst out laughing, and Marius soon copped on.

"You were making fun, 'Ponine?"

"I must, Monsieur. Phillie is very nice, but I do get lonely."

"Rest assured, 'Ponine, I will not leave your side until you are fully recovered, not even then!"

"What about your precious Cosette?" she asked, with a slight bitterness. "Surely she's already made you promise to never leave her side again?"

"I came straight here from the barricade, 'Ponine. I have not seen Cosette in days, nor do I plan to see her until you are safe and recovered," he assured.

This gave Éponine a strange sense of achievement.

"So you do not miss her?"

"Well...I'm not quite sure of my feelings at the moment, 'Ponine," he confessed.

Éponine's heart leaped for what had to be at least the twentieth time since her love entered the room.

"No?"

"Non, Mademoiselle."

"It's 'Ponine! I am no Mademoiselle," she blushed, looking down at her hands as if they were suddenly extremely interesting.

Marius lifted her hands and gently caressed her palms with his thumbs.

"Oh 'Ponine, if you are not a lady, no-one is. Just look at you!"

"Yes, Monsieur, but I am not normally dressed like this. Normally my hands are dirty and my hair is tangled and my dress-"

"'Ponine, it does not matter what you wear or what you look like. You are brave, you are determined, and you are loving. No other woman came to support their friends or lovers. You were the only woman at the barricade, the whole world should call you Mademoiselle," he smiled, happily.

"Thank you, Monsieur..." she blushed.

"My, 'Ponine, you're blushing an awful lot today," he remarked, chuckling.

She nodded, still blushing.

"Where did you get this dress, 'Ponine?"

"Enjolras' housekeeper gave it to me, she's been looking after me. She washed my hair and cleaned me too," she grinned.

"Beautiful," he smiled.

"Yes, it is a lovely dress, Monsieur-"

"No, 'Ponine, you. You're beautiful. The dress is nice though, too," he chuckled.

"Well thank you Monsieur," she grinned, blushing even harder.

"How many times do I have tell you, my name is Marius."

"And mine is Éponine, nice to meet you," she laughed.

Marius noticed that Éponine was laughing and smiling more than he'd ever seen her do so. And she looked very pretty when she did.

He thought he had his love life figured out. Why was he more interested than laughing and joking with 'Ponine than sitting in a garden and looking at flowers with Cosette? Cosette, the girl he considered the 'love of his life'.

"Nice name, Éponine," he replied.

"I actually prefer 'Ponine," she grinned.

"I wonder who thought of that nickname? He's probably a very nice man! A very nice, handsome, lovely man-"

"Oh yes, he is, Monsieur."

Marius wasn't sure where the line between joking and reality was, but he was almost sure they'd crossed it by now.

Now he was just confused. Trust 'Ponine to muddle things up for him. Life was always more interesting with 'Ponine.

Suddenly, Marius felt a pair of lips on his. He was surprised at how upfront 'Ponine was, but he wasn't complaining. He slipped hands around her waist, how good it felt to have 'Ponine as his, pulling her onto the chair beside her bed with him.

He heard Enjolras clear his throat, obviously trying to break the pair up.

Marius pulled away blushing, keeping an arm around 'Ponine.

He heard 'Ponine, still on her bed, looking away from the pair with a pained expression on her face, her big brown eyes struck with sadness.

He looked up, and where he'd expected to meet brown, he instead saw big blue sapphires looking down upon him.

Why was Cosette here? Why was she kissing him?

And the question that reoccured the most that day...

Why had he imagined that he was kissing 'Ponine?

...

**Thank you for reading!**

**I wasn't sure what characters to keep alive. I couldn't kill Enjolras, I couldn't physically do it. And well, since Enjolras isn't overly romantic, I needed someone to help Éponine and Marius come together and realise that the other felt the same about him. And who better than a doctor, for when 'Ponine gets sick?**

**Anyway, give us love!**

**Go raibh ma****ith agat agus ****athbhreithnigh**** le do thoil! **

**Ó Niamh Ní Luachra / ilovemusic'forever x**


	3. Chapter 3

**SO SORRY THIS IS SO LATE!**

**I wrote this chapter, then I thought I posted it...so I deleted it. It took me like a week to realise, and then I had to muster the energy from somewhere, in the middle of a flu (my third this winter, pfft, I live in Ireland, it was going to have to happen sometime) to rewrite.**

**So, again, sorry! Since it's been so long, here's a little recap. Marius and Éponine were talking, he was getting confused about his feelings for Cosette and Éponine, Cosette kissed him, and he thought it was Éponine. We finished with him asking himself why he thought it was. Enjolras and Joly were still standing there all awkardly in the doorway, overhearing the conversation and seeing the kiss.**

**Enjoy!**

...

Enjolras cleared his throat, trying to think of a way to get out of the situation.

"Um, well, Joly, I was going to go help..I was going to...I was going to do something, want to help me with it?"

Joly nodded eagerly and they both left the room, with one last, sympathetic glance at Éponine.

"Oh, Marius! I didn't know if you were dead or alive, I was so worried!" fussed Cosette, placing light kisses left, right and centre all over Marius.

"Well, I'm alive," chuckled Marius, weakly, unsure how to respond.

"I can see that, Marius! Oh, I love you, never leave me again, you silly boy!"

Marius nodded slightly, unable to move his head too much, because Cosette's was still hovering so close.

"I don't have to go to England anymore! Don't ask me why, for I've no idea, but that's great, isn't it? We can be together! We can be married within the week, if we so wish!"

At this, Éponine felt a stab of pain, unlike the one's inflicted by the National Guard's gun, yet just as painful, yet as heartbreaking.

"Oh, that's great, my dearest Cosette!" Marius grinned, standing up and scooping Cosette into his arms, kissing her forehead.

"We'll be back soon, Éponine! I must go ask her father's permission to get married!"

Marius didn't feel as excited saying these words as he would have thought a few days prior. The idea of Cosette staying in France certainly delighted him, yet not as much as he would have thought.

Surely, these are just moments of madness? Éponine nearly died, of course his feelings for her have...increased? Is that the word?

Ignoring the grimace on his best friend's face, Marius left the room with Cosette in his arms. His last thought as he left Éponine behind 'When this pain medicine wears off, I'll be back to my normal thinking.'

...

Ten minutes or so later, Phillie came in to visit Éponine.

To Éponine, that short while on her own felt more like hours.

"Dear, I've a dress here, my grand-daughter grew out of it, and my daughter sent it up," she grinned.

"Go on, Éponine dear, try it on!" She passed Éponine the pale pink dress, smiling all the while.

Éponine quickly changed, not caring that Phillie was there. After all, she had bathed her before.

"Oh, it's lovely, Phillie!" Éponine gushed, feeling the soft fabric, smoothing it out.

"Give us a twirl, dear!"

Éponine did so happily.

"Oh, dear, dear, there are a few holes in it. Do you know how to sew?"

"No, Phillie," Éponine confessed, looking down at her hands, suddenly shy. "I can't do much, Phillie. I can't cook or clean or-"

"And that's what I'm here for, dear," Phillie smiled assuringly. "I'll help you, and teach you all those things. We'll start with sewing, I'll go get my sewing kit, dear."

Éponine sat down on her bed. She completely forgot Marius and Cosette during those short few minutes with Phillie. It was impossible to frown, or worry, or cry when Phillie was near.

The woman in mention soon appeared again, armed with a large basket of needles, thread and materials.

After a while, Éponine had sewn up a few small holes, and was rather proud of herself.

"Phillie?"

"Yes, dear?"

"Can...Can I ask you a question?"

"Anything,"

"What's your daughter like?"

Phillie laughed. "Well, she's a character. Her name is Chessa, but me and the boys just call her Essie."

"Is she married?"

"Oh yes, some Monsieur Duval. She has three children. A girl of fifteen, an eleven year old girl and an eight year old boy. They live far away from here, in a peaceful, isolated town. My daughter is a crazy, crazy woman. Very hyper, her poor husband," she laughed.

Éponine giggled. "And your sons?"

"Oh, they live far away also. I chased them all out years ago, didn't like the way things in Paris were going, best to get them before all this happened, isn't it?"

Éponine nodded. "You were one of the smart ones, Phillie."

"Not too sure about smart, dear," Phillie grinned. "But thank you. Have you finished?"

Éponine held up the holes that she had been assigned to sew.

"Oui, Phillie!"

"You know, Éonine...If you really wanted, you could sew on a few ribbons or buttons or frills," she grinned.

"Oh, yes please!" she laughed.

"I'll show you on this little scrap of material here, how to do nice stitches, sew on ribbons, and you can do them on your dress, is that alright?"

Éponine nodded happily, grinning widely, for the first time in a while.

...

After a few hours of practicing on scraps of material, Éponine took to her dress. She emerged from her room wearing her pale pink dress, only now with pale blue ribbons around the cuffs and neck, light blue and white buttons down the back, and a white lace material sewn over the top half of her dress, and around the button. To anyone who had seen the dress before, it was unrecognisable, and Éponine was beaming with pride.

She found Joly and Marius in the kitchen over dinner.

"Éponine, I'm not sure you should be up and walki-"

"Oh, hush, Monsieur Joly, I'm fine," she laughed.

"You should probably listen to the doctor, 'Ponine,"

"I said I was okay, Monsieur," she added, slightly harsher than she had to Joly. Just because Éponine loved Marius, doesn't mean she was going to let it slide if her paraded his love and impending marriage in front of her face.

"Ah, Éponine!" Phillie came in. "Oh, well done, dear! You've done brilliantly. Are you sure you've never sewn?"

"Oui, Phillie,"

"Well then, that is just excellent sewing, dear!" she exclaimed.

"What, you mean you made that dress?" chimed in Marius, in disbelief.

"No, silly boy," Phillie hit him over the head. He was a regular at Enjolras' apartment, and in Phillie's opinion, a bit dopier than the rest of the students. "She added to it! Nobody can learn to sew a dress in one day."

"Even I knew that," chuckled Joly. "Is that the one you showed me Essie sent up, Phillie?"

She nodded. "Didn't Éponine do well?"

"Yes. And you say you've never sewn before, Éponine?"

"No, Monsieur," she laughed nervously.

"Well, at the rate you're going, we could have a seamstress by Monday! But, of course, you can't engage in strenuous activites, please don't strain yourself, your injuries are-"

"Oh, give it a rest, Joly," chuckled Marius. "Well done, 'Ponine."

Try as she might to be mad at him, Éponine couldn't find it in him to stay angry when he smiled at her like that.

"Thank you, Monsieur," she smiled, but she felt very weak all of a sudden.

"Sit down and fill up a plate, will you, dear?" encouraged Phillie.

"I'm not feeling well, Phillie," she whispered.

"Oh, if you just eat dear, I'm sure you'll be back to normal in no time!"

She nodded and moved to a chair, but her knees gave out from under her, and she collapsed.

Marius jumped down beside her and shook her slightly. She started to cough up blood, wincing and curling around her stomach.

"Joly, do something!" ordered Marius.

Joly sat down beside her, and started checking her injuries.

Phillie's worried eyes...Marius' frantic expression...Joly's concetrated face...

Those were the last things Éponine saw before the black.

...

**To apologise for the long wait, I give you a cliffy!**

**Doesn't make sense, does it?**

**Ah well, I promise I'll try to update faster! Really sorry, I almost didn't realise it wasn't up!**

**As usual, names mean something in this story. Chessa = at peace. Duval = Of the valley. This is because Phillie sent her family away from Paris, before things could get worse and they would lose their posessions, jobs, incomes. So they all live little lives in the countryside, away from Paris, and that's where the valley thing comes from. And 'at peace' is because, obviously, Phillie has made sure Essie and her brothers are at peace, away from Paris.**

**Leave us love!**

**Go raibh maith agat,**

**Ó Niamh Ní Luachra x**


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4**

**I'm so sorry this took forever! I got the Les Miserables piano book, and I was uber obsessed.**

**Revision, revision, revision, homework, revision...**

**And I was busy following my Gaelic and Húrling teams halfway around Ireland to watch their matches. tír eoghain abú3**

**thats my team. Did I mention I had revision?**

**Very sorry, remember to review please!**

...

Joly frantically held her neck, her wrist, everywhere he thought he could find a pulse.

But he could not feel anything, his hands were numb with the cold.

"Joly?!" asked Marius in a strangled, worried voice.

"Marius, go get warm water, towels, and painkillers!"

Marius immediately obeyed the only person known to him that could save his...Well, could he say his Éponine? Or did that sound stupid, they weren't even courting! Or were they? Was she his best friend? His girlfriend? His love?

Woah, where did that last thought come out of? He shuddered, quickly running to retrieve what Joly asked for.

Joly quickly started in on CPR. When Marius came in with what he needed, he let the poor boy hold her hand.

After a few minutes, Joly once again checked for a pulse, and found one. It was weak, it was faint, but it was there. He stopped his CPR since she was certainly alive, and rearranged her on her bed, Marius at her side the whole time.

"She'll be okay, Marius," Joly assured.

Marius let out the breath he hadn't even realised he was holding in.

Joly wet a towel with the warm water, and placed it across her head.

"There are fresh bruises, I'd say from a day or two before the revolution. The areas surrounding are severely swollen, and never got treatment because we were so focused on the gunshot wound. It was a combination of the extent of those injuries, the swelling, some internal bleeding from the gun wound, and just the general pain. You know Éponine would never tell you about pain or those bruises," he paused to chuckle. "She's going straight to heaven, that girl."

"What?!" cried Marius.

Joly laughed when he realised how that had sounded. "She's not dying, Marius. I was talking about fifty years on down the line! I merely meant that she's very brave, a real saint, never bothers anyone else with her problems, only helps them with theirs. Even though hers are probably so much worse, nine times out of ten," Joly mused.

"Yeah, real saint..." Marius laughed slightly.

"You know, I wasn't aware that her and Gavroche were related, until a few weeks ago."

"Really?"

"Nope. Don't look a thing alike! Same determined, fiery, attitude suppose...And same stubborn-ness," he smiled, reminiscing his old friend.

Marius nodded eagerly. "You can be sure about that. Couldn't get your way with Éponine."

Joly raised his eyebrows, as a grin spread across his face. "You can't get your way with Éponine?"

"No, Joly, it's not like that, I," Marius blushed, talking very fast. "I simply meant that she doesn't back down from her opinions or views," he tried desperately to compose himself.

"Sure."

"What?!"

"Nothing, Marius.

The other boy scowled, and Joly laughed.

"Anyway, when she awakes, fetch her a glass of water to take with the painkillers. I'll leave her to sleep, and then a little alone time for yourselves, and then I'll come back to put a cream on the swelling. And under no circumstances is she to engage in strenuous activities or move one single limb out of that bed. Complete rest."

"Hey, Joly?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you," Marius smiled.

Joly chuckled. "No need to thank me, Marius."

Joly left the room, leaving Marius with his thoughts once again.

Why were women so confusing?

In those hours, while he waited for Éponine to awake, he didn't once think of his 'beloved' Cosette.

But, of course, Monsieur Marius did not realise this.

...

Éponine woke up, and immediately winced in pain, curling around her center, wrapping her arms around her sore stomach. Only then did she feel a second pair of arms curled around her waist.

"Are you okay, Éponine?"

"Monsieur!" she breathed, in relief.

"Yes, 'Ponine?"

"You quite scared me! I didn't know who you were!"

"Well, it's me!" he grinned.

"I realised," she said sarcastically.

"Speaking of scares, Éponine, just what did you plan to achieve by passing out on us?"

"I passed out?!"

"Joly couldn't find a pulse. You scared me to death!"

"Fitting isn't it? Quite funny actually."

"Scaring you to death...On my 'death bed'," she giggled, inverting invisible apostrophes with her hands on the words death bed.

"Not funny at all, Éponine!"

She stuck her tongue out at him, cheekily. "Oh, shush."

"So, still the same old Éponine with no manners?" he retorted back to her playfully.

"Yep!" she exclaimed, laughing. The laughing placed pressure on her stomach, and she winced again.

This didn't go un-noticed by Marius, who immediately sat up and got off the bed.

"Where are you going, Monsieur?!"

"Just to get you water for your pain killer tablets."

She groaned. Tablets? She'd have to have words with Joly.

Marius returned, smiling. "I heard that. You'll be glad you took them, honestly."

"How would you know? You don't exactly seem to be doubling over in pain," she remarked, moving to get up from her bed.

Marius run over and lightly pushed her back down. "Oh, no, 'Ponine. You have strict instructions to 'under no circumstances engage in strenuous activities or move one single limb out of that bed!" he imitated, in the worst imitation of Joly anyone could muster.

Éponine burst out into laughter, almost immediately crippled by pain again.

"That...was..a t-teribble..imp-impression!" she gasped between deep breaths.

"Éponine Thernardier, you take these right now!" he ordered, handing her a tablet which she quickly swallowed, and then gulping the whole glass of water.

"Bossy, Monsieur! I like it," she remarked playfully.

"Oh, Éponine," he chuckled. "What will we ever do with you?"

"Well, you could kiss me," she muttered under her breath.

"What's that, Éponine?" Marius was confused. Did she just say what he thought she said?

"I said, you could go get me lots of fancy food and bring it to me and pamper me with all the finest clothes in Paris!" she exclaimed in a posh voice, immediately bursting into fits of giggles.

"No, you didn't."

"Didn't what?"

"You didn't say that."

Éponine blushed deeply. "We-Well, Monsieur...What exactly..What did I say then?" she asked, feigning surprise and innocence.

Marius leant into kiss her, softly. Their lips barely touched, and only for a few seconds, but it sent electric shocks through both of them.

"Excuse me, but what exactly are you two doing?!" asked a different voice.

...

**Who interrupted? Why did Marius kiss her? Does he love Cosette or Éponine? Where do the pair go from here?**

**Leave me your thoughts! Reviews are my motivation!**

**Go raibh maitha agat,**

**Ó Niamh Ní Luachra3**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**To thank you all for your amazing reviews, and to make up for taking so long the last time, here's an update!**

...

"Excuse me, but what exactly are you two doing?!"

Éponine squeaked and pulled away immediately, but found she missed Marius' lips.

There, in the doorway, was Enjolras, a massive grin on his face, and his eyebrows raised.

"Oh, go away, Enjolras."

"You wish, I'm not letting this one go."

Éponine stuck her tongue out at him, causing Marius to laugh.

"Anyway, love bird," he announced, jerking his head at Marius, "you have a visitor, in the kitchen. This could be interesting," he chuckled.

Éponine groaned. Marius leant down to place a kiss on her forehead, pausing to whisper into her ear.

"I'll be back soon."

"You better be!" she threatened playfully.

...

"Is he coming?" asked the visitor, to Madame Phillie.

"Oh, yes," with a disapproving glance at the guest.

"Bonjour, Phillie!" grinned Enjolras, accompanied by Marius.

"Bonjour, mon Cherie!"

"Cosette?!" squeaked Marius, when he first spotted their bonnet-clad visitor.

"Oui, Marius!" she giggled, running over to plant a kiss on his lips, throwing her arms around his neck.

He responded with little enthusiasm, but still kept up the charade.

"Phillie, there's a spillage on the living room floor-"

"Let's go, dear boy!" she rushed over and out of the room, followed by Enjolras, both of them eager to escape what they knew would be an awkward situation.

When Cosette finally broke away, she beamed up at him.

"I missed you, Marius."

"I missed you too, 'Sette," he smiled weakly.

"I love you Marius!"

"I love you too, Éponine!"

"WHAT?!" Cosette screeched, backing away quickly.

"I...," Marius ducked her head.

"Surely, that was just an accident, he can't love...that!" she tried to reason with herself.

"Cosette, I... I do mean it. I think I'm starting to fall for her."

"WHAT?!" she shouted, even louder.

If the arguing pair had listened closely, they might have heard Phillie's giggle, and Enjolras' loud laughing.

Marius shrugged. "Cosette, I'm not sure I had love with you-"

"Well, you listen here, Monsieur Pontmercy. Surely you realise that you and your revolutionary friends are not going to be welcomed back to the streets of Paris very nicely by the Government, after that little revolution episode. Papa and I, can keep you safe. We have various houses to flee to, and Papa has told me everything about his life. He's run away from the government more times than you might think, he knows a thing or two. I can keep you, and all your friends safe, spare that ugly gamine. Serves her for treating me so terribly as children."

"You can't do that to 'Ponine! She obviously didn't know any better, Cosette-"

"Or, I could leak you, and your friends, to the National Guardsmen, whom I'm sure would be glad to know where you all are," she smirked.

"But, of course I want the first option. You know, with 'Ponine included!"

"Ah, but there are conditions."

"I'll do anything, Cosette! Honestly, I promise!"

"Marry me, then."

Now it was Marius' turn to splutter.

"WHAT?!"

"Spending time around that awful, thieving street urchin has obviously-"

"She is not an awful, theiving street urchin! She is a beautiful, respectable, honest woman!"

"As if, she's a Thernardier," Cosette smirked. "As I was saying, before some infatuated _fool_ interrupted me, I was simply going to state that you do still love me. Your best friends died, it's okay to be going a bit mad. And you nearly thought Thernardier died," she proclaimed the name with a bitter tongue, "so, of course, you value her more than you did afore. But you clearly do still love me. And if you refuse to go along with this plan, the least that the Government would grant you, and your friends, would be a painless death. Is marrying me really that bad, in return for your safety?"

"Are you mad?!"

"Stop talking to yourself, Marius, dear. It sounds quite stupid."

"_You _sound quite stupid! I'm not your dear, either! I'm not marrying you, never! I don't know what this scheme of yours is-"

"Marius, I am the love of your life, as you've told me many times before. You've just gone momentarily mad, that's all."

As she talked, Marius began to doubt himself more and more.

It was true, he valued Éponine a lot more than before she nearly died. He was still mourning the loss of quite a lot of friends. He had been so in love with Cosette...Surely a love that strong couldn't die easily?

No! He reasoned with himself. If a love for Éponine is beginning to develop this quickly, love can probably die this quickly too.

"Let's face it, Marius, you have no choice. You're going to have to stay well hidden, and Papa can do that for you. He's not going to do so if you've broken his innocent little Cosette's heart."

"Innocent? You call this...this blackmailing, you call it innocent?" he shook his head.

"My Papa will not know any better. For you either play along, and that involves being nice to me, and about me, or I land you and your friends in heaven – no wait, you lot would go straight to hell. Where you obviously cannot tell my Papa," her cunning smirk was growing bigger by the second.

"What shall it be...love?" she winked.

"I hate you," he mumbled.

"I love you," she chirped, now just trying to annoy him.

Marius sighed, he understood he had no other choice.

"I will go along with your plan. But when we are alone, away from your Papa's eyes, don't expect me to be nice to you."

She ignored this, leaning forward to kiss him, but he soon pushed her away.

"Now, go tell that gamine."

"Can't she come with me?"

"No, you fool!"

"Well, then, I'm not going."

"Marius, if you don't, I will personally make sure you and all of your friends, are landed in court, where they're guaranteed to sentence you to death. Do you want that? Or I could keep you alive, if you liked. So you could live a happy life with me, while even _more_ of your friends died at your hands. Hear that, Marius? It was your fault the first time. And it will be again, if you don't come with me."

"You are a disgusting person, Cosette," he shuddered, holding back tears.

"When you grow up with one man's undivided attention, it's quite easy to get used to getting what you want all the time. And now is one of those times. So we're going to announce our impending marriage to your horrible Thernardier friend, and then go home to Rue Plumet. Does that sound like a plan?" she ordered, with a mean look on her face.

"You really do disgust me, Colette."

"It's Cosette!"

"Oh really? I hadn't noticed. I thought the nice, kind, gentle Cosette I met a few weeks ago died with the barricade."

"And for that, Marius, we will kiss in front of that girl."

"I can't do that to 'Ponine."

"Do you want to be sentenced to death, do tell me Marius?"

"I hate you," he proclaimed again.

She dragged him in to Éponine's room, and stood in the doorway, grabbing his hand, and holding it tightly.

"Isn't it great news, Éponine? Me and Marius are to be married!" she announced, in that fake, sickly sweet voice.

Éponine gulped and tears started to brim in her eyes.

"What?" she barely whispered.

Cosette turned, and made a massive deal of throwing her arms around Marius, and kissing him passionately. He did not respond at all, merely standing there while she kissed him.

He thought it was better for Éponine, to keep her out of the way of harm, to keep her away from this dangerous life that Cosette was planning.

"It's true," he shrugged helplessly, regretting it the instant he saw the expression on Éponine's face.

Éponine brought her hands to her face, wiping away the tears that were fastly pouring out of her glistening, brown eyes.

"Goodbye, 'Ponine." Marius' voice was weak, and trembling. He never wanted to say goodbye to Éponine again, he told her he never would after he said goodbye at the barricades. But it was for her safety.

Éponine rolled over on her side, away from what she believed to be a "happy couple."

"Goodbye...'Ponine?"

Marius never got a response.

...

***Hides from angry Cosette fans***

**I'm not a Cosette fan, as you can tell. She's never very well described, so I took liberty with her character, and just went for it...Big time. **

**Not a very romantic read for valentines, sorry!**

**Just remember, I love Marius! And he is definitely not willing in this plan, it's all that mean Cosette. **

**BOO.**

**Illa Darling: I can't respond, 'cause you were anonymous. But I think that, yes Marius' love is progressing fastly, but that's how I need it to be, for Cosette's plan. Thanks for the review, and I'm glad you enjoyed it.**

**So sorry again for the wait the last few times! This is a sort of "I love you for reviewing and following and favourite-ing this story, please forgive me?"**

**Hehe, leave us love!**

**Go raibh maith agat,**

**Ó Niamh Ní Luachra.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

**I'm in a really really really good mood 'cause my boyfriend Déaghy was super cute+romantic on Thursday so here's another chapter, 500 words longer than the last!**

**By the way, Phillie and Enjolras only heard the start, as they were leaving, and then the end, as they went to keep Éponine company, so they automatically think Marius is a baddie for leading Éponine on. Oh dear, Oh dear, Oh dear.**

...

"Goodbye...'Ponine?"

Marius never got a response.

"'Please, 'Ponine?"

All he could hear in response to this was a sob, and he longed to run and comfort her. He longed to tell her it would all be okay, to make promises for today, for tomorrow, for forever. But he couldn't. Cosette's arms were still tightly locked around his neck.

"Come on, love. We have to tell father of our marriage," she smirked, evilly.

"'Ponine?" he ignored Cosette, longing for Éponine to roll over and smile at him and tell him this was all a dream.

"Marius, she's never been more than a thieving gamine, let's go!"

Marius began to protest at the insult that Éponine was supposed to hear, then sighed in defeat, as Cosette dragged him out of Éponine's room. They bumped into Enjolras and Madame Phillie, who had been listening the whole time. They both glared at Marius.

"Get out of here, and never come back." Enjolras glared him a stony, icy look, full with fury and hate.

"Poor 'Ponine..." whispered Madame Phillie.

"Enjolras, Phillie, I-"

"Get out, before you break poor Éponine's heart even more. You never deserved her love," snarled Enjolras.

"You, and your friends, you can all come to our wedding!" grinned Cosette, happy that this plan was going her way.

"I will no sooner go the wedding of a man who betrayed an innocent, close friend of ours, leading her on, giving her the most hope she's ever had, and then taking it away from. And I'm sure my friends will agree."

This was breaking Marius' heart more, having what he was doing explained in straight black and white.

"She's fragile, Pontmercy. She's been on her deathbed for days, and she's loved you for a very long time. You knew, you used her like a postman for all that time, making her send love letters to that bourgeois, _you knew how she felt_!" he spat, angrily.

"I didn't make her!" Marius protested.

"Yes, but you knew she couldn't refuse. It's as good as. Get out of my home, I don't want to see you near Éponine again. And take that whore with you."

"I'm not a whore, Monsieur!"

Enjolras ignored her, and strode powerfully to the front door, opening it for Marius, wordlessly.

Cosette, offended at his insult, powered ahead out the door, dragging a speechless Marius with her.

"Don't come back," he snarled as his once best friend left.

"What a fool, that boy! I should go check on 'Ponine, Monsieur Enjolras, she'll be in a right state... I'm not quite sure you're in the mood to comfort the girl," she smiled weakly, indicating his angry, fuelled up state.

He nodded, and made his way to the dining room table, where he sat with his head in his hands.

Phillie knocked lightly on Éponine's door, and when there was no answer, opened it gently and tiptoed over to the bed, and sat down on the other side of the bed.

"Éponine?" whispered Phillie.

Éponine continued to sob, but turned over to face Phillie.

"Ah, come on dear, there's no use in crying," she smiled, wiping away her tears.

"He's gone..." Éponine whispered, unsure of wether she was telling herself or Phillie.

"He's gone...to marry that...that C-Cosette!" she cried.

"I know, dear, I know. And you can either cry, or you can get up, and do something positive," she encouraged kindly.

This could sound pushy, or mean, but Phillie was only caring, and optimistic.

Éponine nodded weakly.

"But Phillie...what do I do?"

This was why Madame was glad she had not let Enjolras try to comfort the girl. He'd have just summarised the situation, making her relive it, making it worse, and then tell her to do something stupid, when she asked for advice.

"Well, we can start with dinner. Then, tomorrow, we can further your sewing skills, how does that sound?"

...

The next week, Éponine still wasn't in the best of form, but this was to be expected. When she thought she might finally had a chance at love, it was snatched away from her.

This was the rough outline of the last few years of Éponine's life. She thought something might happen, something good, she might be off the streets, she thought she might have a full stomach tomorrow, she thought she'd earn enough to escape her father's beatings, but all her chances, her wishes, were always snatched away cruelly.

Joly was now sleeping on the sofa in Enjolras' apartment, for the boys had a feeling it wasn't safe for him at his own apartment. Enjolras was sleeping in his own bed again, and Éponine on a spare bed in Phillie's room. The four had quite a comfortable arrangement. During the day, Phillie would show Éponine how to run a household, cooking, cleaning and sewing. The boys would talk and debate about history, politics, among others. At night, they could all be found laughing and joking around the dinner table.

Éponine was decorating another of Phillie's daughter's old dresses in her room, when Joly knocked on the door.

"Yes?"

"It's me, Éponine!" Joly grinned, popping his head around the door.

"Oh right, come in, come in! Here to change my bandages?"

He nodded, and let himself in. He walked over to her bed, and she propped her leg up on the bed, still continuing her sewing. Joly got to work on her leg immediately.

"So, Éponine, how are you?"

"I'm fine, Monsieur. Thanks for asking."

"No, really.

"Yes, I'm fine."

He raised his eyebrows, not believing her for a second.

"Okay, yes, I maybe thought I had a chance with Monsieur Marius, but there's nothing there anymore, no point getting in a bad mood about it," she smiled a fake smile.

"Seriously, Éponine?"

"Yes!"

"Okay, calm down! I'm just asking. If I loved someone and they took off, I'd be the most grumpy, non-socialable human being alive," he shrugged.

She giggled slightly.

"Well, I was planning on becoming just that but Phillie wouldn't stand for it," she grinned.

This made Joly chuckle.

"Yea, she did that with Enjolras and I, about losing the boys," he looked down.

"How are you holding up?" she smiled sympathetically.

"Yea, it's obviously hard, but they died for a cause, for a reason. Enjolras and I, we're not going to let their lives go to waste, we're not going to back off just yet. Yes, we'll hide for a while, until they let their guard down, maybe grow a beard as a disguise," he chuckled slightly. "Wait until something major has arisen, so that the Government has other things on their mind and we won't be their priority anymore, and until we don't look the same, then we'll go back out and try round up the people again. It's not going to be easy, though. They all know what happened the last time; try getting them to sign up to that."

"I'll help!"

"Would you?"

"Of course! I can start before you, the National Guard don't know who I am. I collapsed before I could fight, they won't care about me. I could round up the people, so we could continue the revolution when you and Monsieur Enjolras feel it's safe for you to go out."

"Thanks, Éponine."

"It's the least I can do. Monsieur Enjolras gave me a home, and you saved my life-"

"Well, I hardly saved your life-"he started, shyly.

"Yes, you did! You should be proud of yourself!"

"Thanks, again."

"You don't need to thank me," she grinned.

He finished up changing her bandages.

"Well, you're doing well, Éponine. You should be healed soon enough!"

"Thank god for that. As much as I love Phillie, it's annoying having to ask her for help everytime I want to move about the flat. I like having independence," she huffed.

"Well, you'll have it back soon enough," he consoled, amused at her.

"What are you smiling at?" she laughed.

"Nothing," he shook his head.

"Sure."

"Well, I'm done checking you now. That dress is really nice, by the way. You have a knack for sewing, Éponine."

"Thanks, Monsieur!" she blushed. "It's a great way to pass time."

"It could be more than that, if you wished?"

"What do you mean?"

"I simply mean that, once you're recovered, and not a minute before hand, you could try for a job in a seamstress' shop."

"I'm not good enough for that, Monsieur," she blushed deeper.

"Of course you are, Éponine! I'm sure any place would be simply delighted to have you on board. At the speed you're progressing, you'll be sewing your own dresses in no time!"

"Well, in a while, Monsieur. I need to get a lot better at sewing,"

"And a lot better in health!"

"I've already told you, Monsieur, I'm perfectly healthy!"

He chuckled. "As stubborn as ever."

"I know, Monsieur. I wouldn't have it any other way," she grinned.

He laughed as he stood up.

"Enjolras and I are going to play cards now, want to join us?"

"I don't know how to play, Monsieur."

"You've learnt to sew, to cook, to clean in the space of little more than a week. You're a great learner, Éponine! You'll be fine!"

"Okay then, Monsieur. But I'm going to need help up."

He helped her up gladly, and she limped along side him out of the room.

...

**Just to be clear, Enjolras and Joly are being super nice to Éponine because she's their friend, there are no romantic feelings involved. **

**Enjolras stood up for Éponine at the start because he feels that his revolution failed, and he's just decided that well, he can't help everyone at once, so he'll start with Éponine!**

**Some Marius next chapter!**

**Leave us love!**

**Go raibh maith agat, **

**Ó Niamh Ní Luachra.**


	7. Chapter 7

**SO SORRY I HAVEN'T UPDATED!**

**Basically, my school gaelic team(which I play for) have reached the final in like our province (sort of a 'Quarter of Ireland') and we're going on to our national semi-final, so we're training like crazy. My local club are also training like crazy. **

**DISCLAIMER: I own no Les Miserables characters or original plots or anything Les Mis.**

**I wish...**

...

Meanwhile, Cosette had settled in happily to this situation. Valjean bought the excuse for Marius' absence; he was just going for time on his own to grieve, and was ready to try and come back to normality.

Although, if you asked Marius, this situation certainly wasn't 'normality.'

When Cosette and Marius were having dinner, alone, the silence was nearly unbearable.

"Cosette?"

"Yes, Marius, love?"

"Cosette, please. I know I said I'd go along with this, for my friends sake, but when we're away from your Papa, there are no need for pet names."

"I know..._darling_," she winked.

He shuddered, and continued. "Anyway, you said you'd look after my friends, make sure they came to no harm. That is the sole reason I'm here, you know. I couldn't care less about my life, but I will not have more of my friends' deaths on my name."

"Well, Marius. After our little encounter with Enjolras, do you seriously think he'll welcome you back with open arms? Do you think Joly will forget what you've done to Éponine? And do you honestly plan on kidding yourself that that _tramp_ Éponine will come and live with _me_?"

"She's not a tramp!" he shouted angrily, standing up from the table.

"How come you don't stand up for me, like you stand up for her?" Cosette huffed.

Marius laughed half-heartedly. "Because, I love her! I miss her, I want to be with her, I love every single thing about her! But you...Marrying you, makes me feel sick! Because that nice Cosette I met has ran off, out of Paris, and come back as this, this blackmailing, mean woman! And I think you've proved you can hold your own, without my help!"

"But, I'm only this way, because you won't love me back!"

"I did love you back, but things change Cosette! You have to learn to accept that God has a plan for every single person in this world! I was in yours for a while, you were in mine, but not anymore! It was never a permanent fixture! I love Éponine, I always have, I just never realised it! And there would be someone out there for you, if you'd only ditch this exterior, and let me go back to Éponine," he half pleaded.

She let out a shrill laugh. "You trying to guilt trip me, Marius? Good luck with that. I will make you pay for everything you have done to me."

Marius began to protest that he had never actually done anything, but Cosette cut him off.

"And if you don't play by my rules, your friends will go down with you! Simple as that. I have no emotional attachment to any of them, so I won't care. I might miss you, you know. But as you so kindly said, I will find someone new when I ditch you," she smirked.

"But you've said you'd help my friends!"

"And do you think they're going to let me?"

"Well then, if you're not going to help Enjolras and Joly, there is nothing keeping me here! Their safety is why I came here, and if this is not helping them, then I really have no reason to be here!"

"But again, they're not going to welcome you back. Do you think they'll let you stay in that apartment, near that drasted gamine, long enough to explain this? No! You have nowhere to go, Marius."

"I can go to my apartment!"

"And live on your own, talk to no-one, hide in your apartment for the next fifty years? Where I can lead the police to? Face it Marius, you have nowhere to go and no way to get there. I've got you here, like hell am I letting you go again."

"What's going on? I heard raised voices..." whispered Valjean, slowly moving into the room.

"Nothing Papa," Cosette smiled, standing up and moving around the table to stand beside Marius, with her arm around him, facing Valjean. "We were just heading to bed."

"Of course, ma cherie," he smiled weakly. Old age was really digging into Jean Valjean.

Cosette half-dragged Marius to their bedroom, where he set up his bed on the floor. He absolutely refused to sleep on the bed with Cosette.

He pulled his blankets around him, and Cosette got into her double bed.

"You know, Marius, we should really start planning our wedding."

"It's not our wedding. It's your wedding, I don't have a care in the world for this wedding," he mumbled.

"Well, you're going to have to care!" she whispered angrily. "I'll be inviting Papa, and the higher class of Paris, as he knows them all well. Other than that, I have no family to invite."

"Éponine..." he whispered.

"What?"

"Éponine's your family...she was when you were younger..."

"That wasn't family," she scoffed.

"It was the closest you had!"

"Oh, be quiet, Marius. You will invite your Grandfather, and your family. Your friends will not come, and neither will Éponine. No-one of lower than higher class will attend the wedding, and it will be a beautiful wedding, in a grand house. Okay?!"

"I honestly don't care, Cosette," sighed Marius.

"Okay then, Good night, love!"

She got no reply.

...

**I know this is really short, but as I said, for the next month or so, my updates won't be that fast or long, because of my commitments to my school gaelic team, and my local village's gaelic team! I can try, anyway:)**

**LESS THAN A MONTH TO !**

**favourite day of the year3**

**lá féile pádraig abú, go raibh maith agat**

**Ó Niamh Ní Luachra.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

**Thanks loads for your review!**

**For those of you who wished us luck, the Scoile Gramhaide Loreto An Ómaigh U20's gaelic team( my school's team) have won our provincial final, in a section that is sort of like a quarter of Ireland. Onwards and Upwards, we're hoping for our second All-Ireland final win in a row!**

**So that's why I'm so busy, and we had the Netball and Hurling Provincial Finals too, so I'm like crazy busy!**

**So sorry, here's an update! I decided after all the drama, I should probably tone it down a bit, so here's a nice, happy chapter...for once.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing Les Miserables related, and no characters. That's all Victor Hugo.**

**...**

Madame Phillie knocked lightly on Éponine's door, just like she did every morning.

"You awake, dear?"

"Oui, Phillie!"

Madame Phillie opened the door and pushed her little metallic trolly-cart in.

She lifted the tray upon reaching Éponine's bed, and placed it upon the girl's knee.

"Merci, Phillie!" she smiled.

"It's alright, dear. How's your injuries?"

"I think they're just fine and that I'm perfectly healthy, but Monsieur Joly thinks otherwise," she scowled.

Madame Phillie laughed. "He told me you were nearly healed about a week ago, dear. Hang on in there," she grinned encouragingly.

"But I miss walking round the apartment, I miss Paris, I miss the Seine-"

"I know, and I guarantee if Joly hasn' let you out of bed by this time next week, I will get Enjolras, and we will bully him into it," she laughed slightly.

"You promise? I don't think he'll let me off that easily, he's convinced that I'm unable to move from my bed, and will not walk for a few months or something," she scowled.

"He's just looking out for you! His friends died only a few weeks ago, and another friend left two weeks ago. He can't afford to lose any more friends, and he knows that. He's just make sure you're alright, that's all."

Éponine had felt the same way. She lost Gavroche, and the close friends she had found in Combeferre, Courfreyac, and all the other boys. Then she lost Marius, and she was still quite sad about that. But it was impossible to be sad around Phillie, Enjolras or Joly. They seemed to just radiate energy in Éponine's direction; deliberately.

"I know...I just want to move around the apartment! I want to go to the bathroom without being _carried_!"

Madame laughed.

They were promptly interrupted by a loud knock on the door.

"Éponine?"

"Oui, Monsieur Joly?" she replied, surfacing from ravishing her food.

"I'm here for a check-up!"

"Alright, come in!"

Joly pushed the door open and went to the chair on the other side of the bed, opposite the chair Phillie was on.

"Morning, Phillie," he grinned.

"Morning, Monsieur. You'd better have good news for this girl, or she'll not be happy," she laughed.

Éponine nodded furiously fast in agreement.

"Well, I'll see, but no guarantees," he consoled.

Éponine nodded and ate, while Joly checked her injuries. It had been three weeks since the revolution, and two since Marius' departure. Éponine was certain she was healed a long time ago.

A few minutes later Joly was done, and he sat back down.

"Well, Éponine, if you were very careful, and cautious, I'd say you'd be safe to get up. But just move about carefully, please, Éponine!" he pleaded.

"Really, Monsieur?" she grinned, jumping up from the bed.

She'd only been out of bed once, to show the boys her new dress, and had got heavy scolding from Joly for that, and was told to stay in bed. Other than that, she had stood up to get changed, or had been carried to the bath.

"Éponine," he warned. "I just said to be careful."

"Oh, I'll be fine, Monsieur!" she promised, running through the room and out the door happily.

"Monsieur Enjolras! I'm allowed up! Isn't it great?!" she shouted joyfully.

"Be careful, Éponine!" Joly shouted after her, worried that she was running before she could walk; literally.

"I'll be alright, Monsieur!"

Next thing Joly and Madame could hear, was a the sound of something hitting the floor, and a loud "Woops!" coming from Éponine.

Joly ran through to the kitchen, and Phillie followed closely behind him. There, they found Éponine in stitches of laughter on the floor.

"Éponine!" he sighed.

"There was water on the ground...and I slipped!" she laughed hysterically.

"Éponine, that's not funny! Your stitches-"

"Oh, be quiet, Monsieur Joly. I value your help more than you know, but you're not my mother!" she grumbled, getting up.

He chuckled. "So as you don't get bored and start running around the apartment again, and hit your head off the table next time, you should get out and try for work."

"Actually, I was talking to Valérie the other day. You know Valérie, with the boutique? She's a great friend of mine, and I mentioned I'd been teaching Éponine to sew. She was very interested in offering you a job, said she was short of workers. I said I'd send you over for a trial run when you were healthy again," she grinned.

"That's a great idea, Éponine! How about it?"

"But...But Phillie! I can only decorate dresses! I can't sew proper dresses!" she protested, lowering herself into a chair at the table.

"But I can teach you! It'll be a great experience, for you, working there! You'll only be starting out small anyone, as a trial! You're a fast learner, you'll be just fine!"

"Are..Are you sure, Phillie?"

Madame nodded encouragingly. "I know Valérie quite well, she's a fantastic sewer and a lovely woman, she'll make you just at home!"

"Well, I could try," she smiled slightly, suddenly shy.

"Yes, you should! Celebratory pancakes, anyone?" grinned Phillie.

"Me!" came a shout from Éponine.

"I'll have some too, please, Madame," smiled Joly.

"What's this about Éponine being allowed out of bed?" Enjolras strolled in, casually.

"Isn't it great, Monsieur?"

Enjolras' head spun round to where Éponine was sitting, and went to sit down beside her.

"It is indeed. Finally convince grouchy over here to let you up, eh?" he grinned at Joly.

"If you ask me, a week's more rest is in order but-"

"Oh, stop fussing over the poor girl," Madame laughed.

"And we convinced her to try for work experience at Valérie's Shop!"

"That's wonderful. Sew us a pair of trousers, eh, Éponine?" chuckled Enjolras.

She hit his arm playfully. "Yes, I am staying in your apartment, and I'm very grateful. But I highly doubt you would wear a pair of trousers made by me," she laughed.

"Hey, I would!"

"You would only do that because you were trying to be nice, Monsieur!"

"S'pose that's true," he grinned.

"Yeah, I'd be the same," Joly chimed in, with a smile stretching ear to ear.

"Uh...well, that's encouraging!"

"We're joking, Éponine. We're sure you'll make brilliant clothes, and we'll wear them!"

"You'll be my first customers," she laughed.

"Pancakes!" Phillie came in, plating up fresh pancakes.

"Merci!" came a chrous from the three best friends.

Phillie smiled fondly at her "children." For she looked at them that way.

She was as proud of Éponine's next venture as she was when her daughter decided to try for a job.

She was as proud of Joly as she was when her son passed the sciences and became a doctor.

She was as proud of Enjolras speeches as she was of her son's wedding speech.

These were her children, now.

...

**Thank you! I know it's not much, but I wanted a bit of happiness!**

**You can call it the "calm before the storm"...hint hint.;)**

**As usual, names mean something. Valérie is Phillie's good friend, and the seamtress who Éponine hopes to work for. **

**Valérie = Healthy, and strong. This is because Éponine is now getting healthier and stronger, and her going to work for Valérie is almost like a symbol of this. Now that Éponine is going to work, it's proof that she's healthier and stronger than ever before.**

**Thanks for your reviews again, I'll try update soon!**

**Go raibh maith agat,**

**Ó Niamh Ní Luachra.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

**I know, I'm so sorry about these updates, how slow they are! But I am really busy:(**

**I was busy with my team, but we came runners-up in Ireland, so really proud of all my girls and I love them all! **

**When that was over, I had to start fundraising for Trócaire ( An Irish Catholic charity devoted to buying homes and education for those in less developed countries). I had to go and get sponsorship for my 36 Hour Fast for families in India. I got £65, which is roughly $98. That can buy a house+goat each for four different families in India, so I'm in a really good mood now that I've found out what this will buy, so here's another update! Also, I'm not starving anymore, and I was allowed something other than water again, so I'm happy:)**

**Anyway, thanks for the reviews, on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Les Miserables.**

...

"You've got it! Éponine, You've got it!"

"I've got what, Phillie?" Éponine looked up from her sewing, to see Phillie rushing in through the door.

"Get up, girl! Valérie wants to see you! She said she'd give you the trial, but to go over now! Come on, Enjolras will bring you over there!"

"Where am I going?" Enjolras strolled in, sitting down. Éponine jumped up from her seat, her face bright with joy.

"Oh, don't sit down, Monsieur Enjolras!" Phillie was extremely excited for Éponine, and it showed. "Come on, Éponine's got her job, you've to escort her over!"

"Well done, Éponine!" grinned Enjolras, getting up and giving her a hug. She smiled, and hugged him back.

"But Phillie... I can't go with Éponine! They'll have my head on a platter."

"Is that why you haven't left the apartment for weeks?" Madame demanded.

"Of course that's why!"

"Enjolras," she laughed. "The men who will recognise you are not alive. You may have lost, but you still killed a lot of the National Guard. And they know that. Now, yourself, Joly, and Éponine all survived the barricades," she deliberately omitted Marius' name. "You survived that attack, and you killed their friends. Do you think they're going to want to have a replay of that?"

"How do we know this for sure, Phillie? Yes, it's all well and good hoping for this, but we can't take chances on our lives! Éponine would be safer walking alone than with me!"

"As you know, my friend Abadine's son-in-law is within the government. Well, he's a good man, he is. And they have bigger priorities than you, Enjolras. In fact, they're rather scared of how you all managed to stay alive against the whole National Guard, and they fear for their safety."

"You aren't serious, surely, Phillie?"

"I wouldn't risk your life, Enjolras."

"It's not my life I'm concerned about, Phillie, it's Joly and Éponine-"

"Oh, quit. Nobody is that selfless, Enjolras. It's quite alright not to want to risk your life, my dear, so stop acting the martyr. All you need to do is walk Éponine to the seamtress, and you will both be safe, my dears, so calm down, please."

Enjolras felt sheepish and shy after realising that this was really about Éponine, they would be safe, and let's face it, Phillie was right. Who was so selfless as to have a happy life and reasons to live, yet not care as to wether they lived or not?

"I'll just get my coat, then."

"I didn't mean to be harsh, Enjolras. Simply telling you to calm your head," she laughed.

He nodded, and put on his coat. "You ready, Éponine?"

"What if I don't get past the trial? What if the other girls don't like me? What if I can't sew-"

"Éponine, she needs workers, and this trial is simply to see how far along you are and how much extra training you need, I guarantee you'll get the job, just depends on when you're ready. I'm sure the others will love you, you're a lovely girl and so are they. And you can sew, as that dress you just abandoned, and the one you're wearing now, both prove! You'll be fine, I promise, dear," Phillie smiled, pulling Éponine in for a hug.

"Thank you, Phillie!" she beamed, suddenly more excited, although still nervous. "You coming, Enjolras?"

As the pair left, there was one thought in Enjolras' mind; how did Phillie know to make someone feel better, so quickly? What a woman.

...

"Oh, welcome! Éponine, isn't it?"

Éponine nodded meekly at the stranger, as scared of her as she was of any stranger. Hanging round with people like Thernardier and his gang messed a person up, and Éponine couldn't talk to strangers, without feeling scared.

"And this is?"

"Lovely to meet you, Madame. I am Enjolras, whom Madame Opehlie lives with. I'm simply escorting Éponine," he smiled, shaking her hand.

"Ah, Dear Phillie tells me so much about you. Young Jolen, isn't here, no?"

"Joly, do you mean?" chuckled Enjolras.

"Oh, yes, Monsieur! By the sounds of things, I should be glad young Monsieur Joly has let Mademoiselle Éponine out at all," she smiled.

"You can say that again," laughed Éponine.

"Well, while Doctor Joly is so kindly letting you come to see us, I'd just like to straighten out a few details, you won't be starting. Nicolette?" she called. Soon, a young girl, roughly the age of Éponine and Enjolras, rushed in, wearing a lilac dress she must have sewn herself. Éponine was in awe of the dress, and could only hope she could one day sew like that.

"Nicolette, this is Mademoiselle Éponine Thernardier, whom Madame Ophelie Bonnet has sent to us, and I'll just be talking to her. I'll only be a few minutes, just to sort out some details, would you kindly look after her friend Monsieur Enjolras until she is done?"

"I don't mean to be a bother, Madame, I can wait outs-"

"Nonsense," laughed Nicolette, and for the first time, Enjolras looked up to see her.

"Yes...Maybe I'll just wait with Madame Nicolette," he mumbled.

Valérie nodded and brought Éponine into a small room where she did her sewing .

...

"Take a seat, dear, make yourself comfortable!"

Éponine sat down in the seat across from her, feeling extremely scared of being alone with a stranger.

"Don't be nervous dear!" smiled Valérie, reaching out to pat Éponine's hand reassuringly. Only, Éponine, as we know, was not fond of strangers, and so tensed up immediately.

Valérie sensed this. "Are you alright, dear? Normally, no-one's quite this nervous."

"No Madame, it's just...Well, I have a fear of strangers. All the strangers my father introduced me to...they never brought me anything but trouble. I've come to hate strangers, my father's...friends, if you can call them that...they've just brought me a world of trouble."

"Ah..." Valérie looked down at her hands, then up again at Éponine. "So, you are Thernardier's daughter?"

"What, Madame? No! I mean yes- but I haven't spoken to him in a very long time, and I don't ever wish to-"

"It's alright, dear. I was just musing. I thought, when I heard the surname, but when I met you, you just seemed too nice. I wouldn't blame you, I had a run-in with that gang a few years back..." she shuddered.

"I think half of Paris has been robbed by my father at some point or other," mumbled Éponine.

"I do suppose, so. You say you haven't spoke to him, nor do you want to. Even though he's not the best man, do you not miss your Papa?" asked a confused Valérie.

"He's not my Papa, Madame. Yes, he's my father. Any fool can be a father. But it takes a real man to be a Papa."

"I know what you mean, dear."

"A Papa is not someone who teaches his child to steal, and to lie. A Papa doesn't beat his daughter...A Papa doesn't kick his young son out onto the street. Thernardier is no Papa of mine."

"So I assume then, he never gave you many opportunities to learn?"

Éponine quickly shook her head, laughing.

"My Papa, do something for me that didn't bring in money? I don't think he even loves me, I'm just a bag of sous. Or a lack off, in his case."

"Well, then. We shall continue to teach you to sew. And I'll show you how to read. It's not compulsory for a sewer, but I think you might be interested anyway," she smiled.

"Oh, yes, Miss! I'd love to! I would ask Phillie, but she's already taught me to cook and clean and sew...Joly, Joly would think it too strenuous for someone ill...I'm not ill, by the way. That's just Joly, not an ounce of positive thinking in him. And well, Enjolras, his books are far too hard, Madame. And I've no-one else to ask," she felt a stabbing pain, thinking of the many times Marius had promised to teach her...

But he never had. He was simply another man in Éponine's life who made promises, broke them, and took advantage of her.

"So that's settled, for the next few weeks, come over for a few hours each day, and I'll teach you to sew. Eventually you'll be sewing dresses. And Nicolette, and I, will teach you to read. So long as you do actually work for me, and don't clear off. Does that sound like a deal?"

"Oui, Madame! Oh, you'd know you were a friend of Phillie's within a conversation."

"How's that?" Valérie asked, amused.

"You're so nice and kind to everyone!"

She laughed, and smiled. "I suggest we should go and rescue your friend Enjolras from Nicolette, she's a force to be reckoned with."

...

Meanwhile, Nicolette was fixing snacks for Enjolras.

"So, Monsieur, tell me something about you," she smiled.

"Um...Well, my name is Enjolras, not Monsieur, for a start," he chuckled.

She grinned. "Okay, then, _Enjolras_. Who do you live with?"

"Madame Ophelie Bonnet. Or Phillie, as she's better known."

"Ah, I know her! She's in here all the time talking to Val. She's a lovely woman!"

"Yea, she is," he smiled.

"So, Phillie's not your mother, I assume?"

"No, No...She's my housekeeper, but she's just as good as my mother. If not better. I haven't spoken to my mother in a very long time," he sighed.

"Why forever not?"

"Well, we had very...contrasting political views. But I still love my Mother," I sighed.

"And your father, is he alive?"

"Oh yes, very much so."

"And I assume you don't speak to him either?"

"No," he sighed.

"Well, if you love them, surely you should be able to put opinions aside?"

"I don't know, I love them. But I don't like their views on poverty and politics at all."

"They're on the side of the government or something?"

"How'd you know?"

"Let's just say I don't agree with those fools either."

"You don't?"

"Of course not, it's stupid."

"Well, glad someone agrees with me. I tried a revolution, you see..And well, it didn't succeed. But too many friends died in the name of the barricade, I'll not let it go to waste."

"Well, I'll help you! The only producive thing I do with my life, is this. And this isn't helping the poor."

"Éponine herself, came from the slums. From that fool, Thernardier."

"Oh, Val érie can't stand that man. Tried to rob us a right few times, she wasn't one bit too happy. But what can she do? We're outnumbered."

"Pity, that. That no-one can even stand up for what's already theirs, never mind stand up for what should be theirs."

"You really do love the cause, don't you?"

"It's my life, It's my love, and It's my leading lady."

Nicolette randomly started laughing.

"What's so funny?" he asked, confused. He looked down at himself and felt his face, wondering what could be wrong with them.

"I asked you to tell me one thing about you, and I got the short version of your life story," she giggled.

"Well, you're a very easy person to have a conversation with, Mademoiselle,"

"It's Nicolette," she smiled.

"That's a very pretty name, Nicolette."

"Thank you, Mons- Enjolras," she giggled.

Just then, Valérie and Éponine came in.

"I think that's it, you alright with the arrangements we've made Éponine?"

"Yes, I've to go home and tell Phillie," she grinned. "You ready Enjolras?"

He nodded, barely acknowledging Éponine.

"We'll meet again, Nicolette?"

"Of Course, Monsieur," grinned Nicolette. "I look forward to it."

"Not as much as I do."

...

**So Enjolras, Joly, Marius and Éponine are safe from the government. Will Marius realise that it's safe to come home, or will he live with Cosette in fear of the government?**

**What of Nicolette and Enjolras? Will they become good friends, or anything more?**

**Will Enjolras' parents ever talk to him again?**

**I know I talked alot about Éponine/Thernardier and Enjolras/Parents, but I was just trying to highlight how different their stories and backgrounds are.**

**Nicolette = Victory for the People. This is because 1) Her and Enjolras have the same views, and both want victory of the poor people. 2) This was going to be Ophelie's name but it didn't quite fit, and I did promise a Nicolette. It seems to suit a young, breath of fresh air in Enjolras' life.**

**Leave us thoughts, theories + ideas!**

**Go raibh maith agat,**

**Ó Niamh Ní Luachra.**


	10. Chapter 10

**I DONT OWN LES MISERABLES OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS.**

Cosette could no longer remember how she'd blackmailed Marius into coming to live with her. Of course she remembered the why, but the how was uncertain.

He wouldn't talk to her, he would hardly leave his room, he barely even looked at her.

Cosette had imagined that when he lived with her, he'd remember that he loved her. He'd kiss her, they'd talk all day, he'd be sweet and loving, like before.

But he wouldn't even hold her hand. He was cold and distant. He wouldn't hardly talk to her, not about the wedding, not about anything. They only talked to argue, and she always won their arguments.

_If I could turn back time, I would make sure I was first in his life._

She didn't get any satisfaction from winning the arguments. He never really put up much of a fight, it was nearly always one-sided arguments, and their conversations were definitely always one-sided.

_You should know, this love we share, was never meant to die._

She was lying on her luxurious bed, thinking all this.

He was hers, surely? Cosette smirked. She still had him here. There was nothing he could do about that.

She shouted down at Marius, who was lying on his makeshift bed, which consisted of a blanket and cushions. His bed had shifted subtly further away from hers each night, so he was now at the back wall.

"Marius, love? Are you sleeping?"

He wasn't sleeping. He was in fact thinking, about Éponine.

_If I was sleeping, I'd be with you. The only dream I have is being with you._

He barely moved.

_You've got to fight for every dream...Because, whose to know, which one you let go, would have made you complete?_

"Darling?"

_She never gave me any chances, to show you how much I care._

No response.

"Honey?"

_Whether the future has dark or bright days, I will still love you, until the last mile of our way._

He continued to stare at the wall, ignoring her. He wasn't her darling, her honey, nor her love.

She sighed exaggeratedly. "Marius?"

He grunted in response. At least this was an improvement to those sickly names.

_You give me strength. You give me hope. You give me someone to love._

"Marius!"

"What?!" he growled back, now just annoyed.

_You find it in the deepest friendship...The kind you cherish all your life._

She shook her head. "I don't even know why I'm fighting for you anymore."

_I want to be there for you, sharing in everything you do._

"Wait...does this mean I can go back to Éponine?!" he grinned, excitedly.

_Nothing in this life feels right, because she's the best thing in my life._

"_NO!_ No, you are going nowhere near that bitch."

_I don't want to have to try, to live without you in my life._

Marius' face deflated extremely quickly. His heart felt like a balloon, had just been filled with happiness, but Cosette had just let that go, and his heart was slowly deflating to its normal small, miserable way.

_Why can't I leave, when everything I adore, and everything I'm living for, is you?_

"She's not a bitch," he retorted.

_If my heart's not in it for real, please don't try to make me fake what I feel._

"Name one good thing she's done for anyone?" she snarled.

"Name one bad thing she's done to anyone?!"

_Always, you'll be a part of me. I'll forever feel you strenth, when I need it._

Cosette shrieked with laughter. It was an ugly, menacing laugh. Unlike Éponine's light, pretty laugh, Marius thought.

"She constantly tormented me as a child!"

"We've been over this-"

"Yes, parent's example, so on, so on! No wonder she turned out a whore with parents like that!"

"She is not a whore either, Cosette!"

"How do you know she hasn't become a whore?" smirked Cosette, determined to wind him up now that he was being infuriatingly annoying.

"Enjolras wouldn't let herself become a whore!"

"What if they had no other choice?"

"Enjolras and Joly both nearly have degrees!"

"Yes, and they also both nearly won a revolution against the Government and the King. That's a crime deserving death! They might be able to go out in daylight because people will be scared to confront them. But they'll be scared to employ them! Scared for their safety, and scared that no one would come anywhere _near_ their business...And they'd be right! Éponine would be unrecognised, and what other job is a girl like Éponine going to get?!"

Cosette, of course, accidentally on purpose forgot to mention that Enjolras had inherited quite a lot from his family, and that Joly had too. She didn't mention that there were other jobs for women. She didn't mention that plenty of people in France _admired_ Enjolras and Joly for their bravery, fight and cause, and would be more than happy to employ and do business with them.

But Marius was too worried about Éponine, and furiously shook his head.

"Éponine would rather _starve_ than give herself like that!"

"Then how do you know she's not starving?" she smirked.

Marius jumped straight up and bolted for the door.

_It'll be alright, I'm coming home tonight._

"Marius Pontmercy!" screeched Cosette, overtaking him.

"What?" he groaned, trying to get past her and out the door.

"You're not going anywhere. I have dirt on you," she smirked. "Enjolras, Joly and that _bitch_ all hate you. You've nowhere to go..._Remember_?" she added.

_There are a million places I could go...But without you, it's not home._

Marius slumped against the wall, dropping his head into his hands.

_All of our tears, will be lost in the rain, when I find my way back to your arms again._

"You're wrong, you know," he mumbled into his palms.

Cosette folded her arms and stared at him, challenging him to prove her wrong.

"She's not a bitch. You're the bitch, Cosette."

_I can't sleep. Everything I ever knew, is a lie without you._

Éponine fumbled around the kitchen, none of her thoughts on the food.

When she was with company, she couldn't dwell on her feelings. But Phillie was at a friends', and Enjolras and Joly were reading in Enjolras' room.

But she couldn't help but feel that she missed Marius, more than she should.

_It's not like you ever loved me. We weren't together. You're with Cosette. Why should I miss you, when you clearly doesn't miss me?_

These were recurring thoughts. They patrolled angrily around Éponine's mind, leaving her incapable of other thoughts.

_You just upped and left. You left me hardly any explanation, and you havn't visited once since. You clearly doesn't even care._

Éponine couldn't stop thinking these things.

As she reached for a knife, she started to break down.

It was the first time she'd been truly allowed to let it go. When Phillie, happy, calm, composed Phillie, was around, it was impossible to feel sad. But when she left, Éponine went back to weeping over Marius.

She set down the knife on the counter, and went to sit on a chair at the table. She brought her knees up to her chest, and wrapped her arms around them, burying her head in her knees.

_I don't want to face the world alone, without you by my side._

Sure, she had friends. And yes, she had a small job.

_You couldn't love me. But you didn't have to leave me..._

But what more did she have?

_I tried to tell you how I felt...But how could I, when words fail?_

Where were her parents? Why didn't she have a family? Why did no-one love her? Why was it that Éponine had only three friends?

_Night after night, I hear myself say...Why can't this feeling just fade away?_

What had Éponine got, now that Marius was gone?

_When you were close, all I knew was that I never wanted to let you go._

Surely, on paper, he wasn't much. He was just another friend, he brought the list up to four friends.

_Even people in love said I was a fool for loving you too much._

But he really was so much more. She looked forward to seeing him, even if he would just sit there and talk about Cosette. He had once made a vow, in what they both thought to be her final moments, to stay with her, even if he hadn't. She loved his company, even if it normally wasn't for long. She loved him, even if he didn't love her.

_I thought God loved me, since he sent me you._

He had saved her from the darkness. He had saved her from her father, his friends, his plans for her. He'd brought light into her life. And she'd be eternally grateful.

_It's hard to forget someone, if they give you so much to remember them by._

He might have just been a friend, but he meant so much more than that.

_I'll be broken and I'll show it, but I'm going to have to live without you here._

Sure, he loved Cosette. _What man wouldn't, if I was the only other option? _she thought bitterly.

_You never saw how beautiful you are to me._

But that didn't mean he had to leave Éponine, not when she was already so broken, fragile.

_Love has never been good to me. Maybe it's just my destiny to live my life alone..._

Éponine shook her head, getting up from the chair.

_You won't be the end of me. If you were the one, you couldn't hurt me this much._

**SORRY THIS TOOK FOREVER!**

**As you know, I did a 36 hour fast last week. I had to sort out all the sponsorships, and then I did a 24 hour silence, for the same charity, and had to get sponsors for that.**

**I have been sick for three weeks, but I was down in Dublin for Lá Fhéíle Pádraig / Day...and it rained. (At least all the non-irish people got a real taste of irish...the rain was more irish than the festival,hahahaha.) Anyway, so I've got a lot worse and I currently spend my days in bed sleeping, so reviews are going to be short + rare!**

**Sorry:(**

**I sort of realised that this was mainly a dialogue story, so I really tried to bump up and emphasize how much Marius and Éponine miss each other, and about their hopes and regrets.**

**Cyber hugs to the westlife fans that recognized all my westlife quotes!**

**See ya soon, hopefully! **

**Le grá, **

**Ó, Niamh Ní Luachra**


	11. Chapter 11

**I DO NOT OWN LES MISERABLES OR ANY CHARACTERS INVOLVED.**

Enjolras smiled to himself. He was about to walk Éponine to Valerie's shop, and that meant one thing.

Nicolette.

The pair had become very good friends in a very short space of time.

He knew so much about her. He knew that she was 20, just the same as him. He knew she was the second oldest of five children. He knew that she had four brothers, and longed for a sister. He knew she was just as passionate about freeing France as he was. He knew that she had tried to get involved in the revolution, but her father wouldn't hear of it.

"You ready, Éponine?" he wandered into the kitchen, where she was sitting at the table, reading one of Enjolras' books.

She looked up, smiling. "Ready when you are!"

"Let's go then," he buttoned his coat. She did the same and they walked out the front door.

Joly, Enjolras and Éponine had long learned that people either admired their bravery, or were too scared to confront them, and were now able to walk safely and care free through their beloved city.

"Where's Monsieur Joly?" she questioned, curious.

"Are you familiar with Phillie's friend Paulette?"

"Yes, I am, she often comes to see Phillie. What has this got to do with Monsieur Joly?"

"Are you familiar with her daughter, Lottie?"

"Oh yes! She's a lovely girl! She comes with her mother, I've met her a few times."

"So has Joly. Well, more than a few times..." he chuckled.

"Wait," Éponine began to piece two and two together. "Joly...and Lottie?"

He nodded. "What can I say, Joly's proving to be a free man," he grinned.

"I'm so happy for Joly! But she's so loud and energetic and talkative! The complete opposite of Joly!"

"Opposites attract, Éponine," he smiled.

"Oh, but you and Nicolette aren't opposites! You are pretty similar!" she teased.

He was gobsmacked. "Me and Nicolette? Wh- I'm- Huh?"

" I made the marble leader stutter!" she grinned, proudly.

"I'm just...surprised."

"Why? Don't play innocent, Enjolras!" she laughed. "I know you have a quite a liking for Nicolette."

"How did you find that out-"

"So you do!" she grinned!

He nodded, defeated.

"Well, you'll have to ask her to the opera then!" she laughed, pushing open the shop door.

Enjolras made a gesture to Éponine to keep her voice down, and Éponine understood. She wouldn't be happy if someone told Marius about her love for him before she could. Then again, she wasn't sure if Nicolette and Enjolras were quite at love yet. But it was the same sentiment.

"Bonjour, Madame!" greeted Éponine, making her way to the back of the shop and taking off her coat, hanging it on the assigned hook.

"Good morning, Éponine," Nicolette smiled back.

"Bonjour, Madame," Enjolras smiled, following Éponine through.

Nicolette turned and saw Enjolras, a wide grin spreading on her face. "Good morning, Enjy."

Éponine burst into shrieks of laughter at the nickname. Enjolras tried his best to ignore her, but failed.

"I thought I told you to call me Enjolras!"

"I thought I told you to call me Nicolette," she countered, raising her eyebrows teasingly.

"Okay, then, I'll cut out the 'Madame' as long as I never hear 'Enjy' ever again," he shook his head.

"Don't you worry, Enjy! You'll be hearing a lot more of it!" Éponine still hadn't recovered from her laughing fit.

Enjolras ignored her, but Nicolette started laughing with her.

"Women," he grumbled, shaking his head.

This had Éponine and Nicolette laughing ever more. Éponine went to the front of the shop, and started arranging dresses. Enjolras and Nicolette started a conversation about music, and Enjolras intended to swing the music topic to the opera, so he could ask her there.

The pair were only 30 seconds into their conversation when they heard Éponine's laughter aprubtly cut off, followed by, "What the hell are you doing here?!"

Enjolras ran out, worried it might be a government official or her father.

It turned out to be neither, but he wasn't any happier to see _her._

Cosette.

"That's not a very polite way to greet your customers," Cosette smirked.

"But she has a point, Cosette," growled Enjolras.

"Do you know this woman," asked a confused Nicolette, who had just joined them.

"Yes, we do," snarled Éponine.

Cosette ignored Enjolras and Éponine, who stood before her in a united front, and turned to Nicolette, who was beside Enjolras.

"I'm here for my wedding dress," she beamed.

Enjolras just stared at her in disbelief, and Éponine escaped to the back room, mumbling something along the lines of 'As if I'm serving that whore'.

Nicolette tried to put Enjolras' and Éponine's hostile reactions behind her, and got on with business. She moved to the rail, and started looking through for something that would suit Cosette.

"Any ideas on what you want?"

"Nothing off the rack. As if," Cosette scoffed.

"Oh," already this woman was annoying Nicolette. "So you're designing your own dress, then?"

"Obviously."

Nicolette led her to a table where there were pencils and paper.

"I didn't quite catch your name, Madame," smiled Nicolette.

"Well, it's Madame to you anyway," Cosette snapped, patronizingly.

Nicolette nodded, trying to keep a straight face. In the background she could hear an angry Enjolras and an emotional Éponine.

"So, any ideas?"

"Of course."

"Then, what are they?" Nicolette asked, trying to be patient.

"Extravagance. A big skirt, and a long train. Long lacy sleeves, and lots of diamonds."

"You are aware how much this dress will cost, Madame?" Nicolette asked dubiously.

"Look at me, girl. Look at the clothes I'm wearing. Do you not think I can afford it?"

"Of course you can, Madame," Nicolette nodded.

After Nicolette's patience had been greatly tested, she sat with a finished design.

"Is this your final design, Madame?"

Cosette stared at it for a while. "Yes, I think so."

"Could I have your name and address, please, Madame?"

Cosette wrote them down on the side of her page in her elegant, fancy hand, and got up to leave.

"Madame, you need to leave a deposit first!"

"I will pay for my dress, when I see it."

"I'm afraid it's compulsory, Madame. We can't start your dress without it."

Cosette shook her head and left a small deposit, grudgingly.

"Come back on Tuesday, we'll try to have it done by then."

"It had better be done by then, girl," she warned. "Or I'll make sure you're out on the streets for the rest of your god-forsaken life."

Enjolras and Éponine then emerged from the back room, hearing the last part.

"Don't you dare talk to Nicolette like that." Enjolras growled.

"I can do as I like. After all, I'm of higher class."

"Just because you wear fancy clothes does _not_ mean you can disrespect a human being like that. You wouldn't like it if it was you," he growled.

"Well, there's no chance of it ever being me," she scoffed.

"I wouldn't count on that, you petty, lazy bitch," Éponine snarled.

"Don't you dare talk to me like that!"

"Well that's what you are," retorted Éponine.

"You have no right to call me that!"

"I can do as I like," she mimicked.

"Don't mock me!"

"Is poor old Cosette going to run back to Papa? Is poor old Cosette going to go complain to anyone who will listen?" Éponine teased.

"Of course she is," chimed in Enjolras.

"Leave me alone. Marius will hear of this. He won't think much of you then, will he? Maybe he'll finally realise what a whore you are," Cosette played the biggest card she could.

"Let him. Let him hear. Let him think what he likes of me. After all, I have a few strong opinions about him at the moment too," Éponine shrugged, not without emotion.

Cosette shook her head and turned to leave.

"Oh, and Cosette?" snarled Enjolras.

Cosette turned to see Enjolras' face of stone.

"Give this to Marius from us, will you?" Enjolras shoved a crumpled letter at her.

"I might," she smirked evilly, taking it, and making a dramatic exit.

Nicolette exhaled the breath she didn't know she was holding in.

"She's such a...I don't know if there's a word! She's so disrespectful, and spoilt, and patronizing-" Nicolette ranted.

"We know," Éponine nodded. "Believe me, we know."

"How do you two know such a woman like _that_?"

"She's the love of a former friend," Enjolras answered, emotionless.

"One of the men from the barricade?" Nicolette asked.

Éponine nodded.

"Well, maybe that's why she's so bitter! If he died at the barricade, and you two are alive, she might just be jealous-"

"Oh, he's alive. And kicking," snarled Éponine.

"I thought you said former friend?" Nicolette was deeply confused.

"Well, the type of friend that abandons the cause, and his dearest friends, when one is on her deathbed, is no friend of mine," Enjolras growled.

Nicolette knew not to prove further. It seemed to be a touchy subject for the both of them, especially Éponine.

...

**And she's back!**

**Sorry for the slow updates!**

**Thanks for the reviews, greatly appreciated! Thank you to MissFiyeraba, Christine Eponine, Eponine Jondrette, LesMisFanGleek13 and my two guest reviewers! This is a total cliché, but reviews are what inspire me to write!**

**Lé gra, **

**Ó **

**Niamh Ní Luachra.**

Lottie means 'Free Man.' Paulette means 'Small and Humble."


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

**I DO NOT OWN LES MISERABLES OR ANY CHARACTERS INVOLVED.**

**...**

"Marius, darling!" Cosette called shrilly, at the top of her voice.

Marius groaned in the dining room, where he was reading a newspaper, when he heard the front door open and _her_ call out to him.

She searched for him for a few minutes, until she found him in the dining room.

"You know, you could try and make it easier for me to find you," she scolded, sitting down across from him.

"And why, in the name of the Lord, would I do that?"

She scowled.

"As you know, I went to order my wedding dress today. And I ran into a rather interesting situation."

Marius got tuned out as soon as she said, 'Wedding.'

He couldn't help but feel that a different woman should be ordering her dress. Then, he might actually be excited about his upcoming nuptials, and not feel an overwhelming dread.

"Marius!" she snapped.

"What?" he grumbled.

"I ran into two...acquaintances, is the right word I think. Yes, I ran into two acquaintances of mine at the shop."

He had no reaction, only flicking the pages of his paper.

"_Marius!_ I talked to Éponine and Enjolras today!" she near shouted. She had been hoping to build up a tension, or atmosphere, and climax in that she, _not_ Marius, had got the chance to talk to his friends. But, of course, that would only work if Marius would listen.

"W-What?" he stuttered, suddenly aware.

"Yes, Marius, I saw your two _friends_ today," she rolled her eyes.

"Where?"

"At the shop."

"Why were Éponine and Enjolras at the sho- Is Éponine getting married?" he asked, panicked.

As fun as Cosette thought it would be to toy along with that idea, she quickly laughed at him.

"Of course not. Who would want to marry that dog?!"

It was a rhetorical question, but even still, Cosette heard Marius mutter '_me'_ under his breath.

"No, you will not. You've the honour of marrying me," she giggled.

"Some honour," he grumbled sarcastically.

"Marius, you could at least _pretend_ to be excited about this wedding!" she snapped.

"Why should I?!"

"To keep up appearances," she rolled her eyes again.

"I already pretend for your father! I already pretend for his friends! I already pretend for those fancy people that associate with! I already pretend for your friends- Wait, no Cosette, you don't even have friends? And why? Because you're a rotten, spoilt, blackmailing_ garce_!"

"Marius Pontmercy!" she shrieked. "Don't you dare call me that, when I don't deserve it-"

"But you do! Can't you see?! I never loved you like that! I can't love you like this! Why can't you see that?" he asked for what had to be at least the tenth time, exasperated.

"Because, once you get that _whore_ out of your mind, you'll remember that you love me! And this wedding is the perfect way to remember!"

He groaned again at the thought of the wedding.

"Yes, Marius, we're getting married! Get used to it!" She scolded, when she suddenly had a thought. "You know what else will help you forget her? This!" she growled, retrieving the crumpled letter from her pocket.

"What's that?" he snatched the letter from her. She smirked, and watch as he read the letter.

_To Marius,_

_I'm going to start off by informing you that this letter does not symbolise my forgiveness. What you did to 'Ponine was wrong. She was on her deathbed, and you led her on, and then abandoned her?! You disgust me. She was an empty shell for weeks, and I hope you pay the price someday._

_I'm writing to request that you tell your Lark to stay away from 'Ponine. She came in here today, and immediately disrespected and insulted 'Ponine. I can take an insult, but while 'Ponine was once brave and strong, she is now fragile and broken, thanks to you. Any more of these insults, and she will crack. Myself, Joly and Phillie have spent so long picking up the pieces after you smashed her hopes, courage and personality to bits. I will not stand by and let it happen again._

_I know that as soon as Cosette steps foot in that shop, she will immediately turn to taunt 'Ponine, and I might not be there to stand up for 'Ponine. _

_So, I would again request that you tell your Lark to stay away from 'Ponine. And by stay away, I mean never step foot in Valerie's. _

_If she doesn't, I can always go straight to Valerie about Cosette, and then maybe slip an anonymous note to the Goverment that in Valjean's house lives a criminal._

_What will be?_

_Enjolras._

Marius was dumbfounded.

"Enj-Enjolras gave you this?" he stuttered.

Cosette nodded, smirking.

"What does it say?" she enquired somewhat innocently, even though she'd stopped to read it before.

"Why was Éponine at the shop?"

"She knows the girl who works there, that Nicolette. She's a much nicer lady than Thernardier," Cosette lied easily.

"Who is Nicolette?" Marius enquired, curious as to how Éponine would know her.

"Nicolette Tailler. She has a large family, and they own an inn in Paris. Very similar to the Thernardiers...But her family actually has manners and dignity. They're lovely people, and her older brother is rather fine," she smirked, unsuccessfully trying to make Marius jealous.

"How do you know all this?" he shook his head, confused.

"I know a lot of things, Marius. I could tell you things about the Thernardiers would shock you."

He groaned. "Cosette, you have not wasted one second in telling me of your hatred for the Thernardiers. Please, just leave me alone?"

"Leave you alone? We have a wedding to plan!"

"No, you have a wedding to plan!"

She scowled at him, and got up from her chair, stomping out the door and up the stairs, deliberately making a lot of noise as she trudged up the stairs.

Little did Marius know, when Cosette retreated up the stairs, it was only to invite some very special guests to their wedding.

**...**

**II'm giving you this update so early because I'm going to Ros Neamhlach, in Dún na nGall for a week now! I have no internet connection up there, so I can't update! Also, I take Easter very seriously, so even if I did have internet connection, all my spare time is taken up with choir practices before Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday masses. **

**As per usual, names mean something. The surname Tailler means "Tailor", since Nicolette works with clothes as a tailor/sewer/seamtress, whatever you want to call it. I'm not sure if I'm explained in the last chapter, but Lottie means 'Free Man' because this signifies Joly becoming free and social again. Paulette means 'Small and Humble' because I imagine Phillie and all her friends to be quiet, cute old grannies, aha.**

**Happy Easter!**

**Le grá,**

**Ó Niamh Ní Luachra.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

**I DO NOT OWN LES MISERABLES OR ANY CHARACTERS INVOLVED.**

**In honour of it being Easter Week, I'd like to dedicate this chapter to the victims of the Easter Rising 1916, and to all those that have been directly or indirectly affected by the British Reign in Ireland, and for those who have fought for Irish freedom.**

...

"So, Enjolras! You nervous about Nicolette coming over for dinner?" Éponine teased lightly.

"Oh, stop it, 'Ponine," he grumbled.

"You are!" she poked and tickled him excitedly. "The marble statute cracked! Oh, Enjolras has a girlfriend, Enjolras has a girlfriend, Enjolras has a girlfrie-"

"Enjolras has a _what_?!" Phillie interrupted, confused.

"Phillie! Enjolras has a girlfri-"

"No, I don't!"

"Yes you do, _Enjy_-"

"One, you promised that you'd never call me _Enjy_ ever again. Two, Nicolette is not my girlfriend. She's a very good friend-"

"A _very very_ good friend-" Éponine interrupted, wiggling her eyebrows.

"Éponine, I wasn't done. One, Bye-Bye to the nickname Enjy. Two, Nicolette is simply a friend. Three, I'm not nervous about seeing Nicolette. And four, you are going to _have_ to calm down, or you'll scare off Joly's girlfriend!"

"What do you mean calm down, I am perfectly-"

"No, 'Ponine, you are sky-rocket high, and impossibly hyper. It's not healthy! I'm going to get Joly to check you out, I think you suffer from insanity," he shook his head with fake worry.

"I wouldn't be surprised if I did," Éponine giggled.

Phillie laughed at the pair's friendly banter, and started to serve up the dinner that Éponine had helped her make.

"Enjolras? Éponine?"

"In the kitchen!" they shouted in unison, grinning at each other.

Joly and his new love interest Lottie arrived in for dinner, and Joly took it upon himself to introduce her.

"Enjolras and Éponine, this is Lottie! Lottie, this is Enjolras and Éponine!"

"How are you, Lottie?" Enjolras asked politely.

"Hi there, Lottie!" Éponine grinned, with the complete opposite of Enjolras' polite manner, and clearly too excitable and hyper for her own good.

"Hello, Éponine! Hello, Enjolras," Lottie smiled.

Joly turned to Enjolras. "Where's Nicolette?"

"How am _I _meant to know, ask _Éponine_-"

"You're overly defensive about your love for her, that's one of the first signs, you know!" Éponine laughed, teasing him even more.

"Don't worry about 'Ponine, she finished her first dress on her own today, and has been far too crazy for her own good ever since. And she's never really calm at all, anyways," Joly shook his head, guiding Lottie to seats across from Éponine and Enjolras.

"You sew dresses?" Lottie asked, genuinely interested.

Éponine nodded quickly and over excitedly. "It's my job." She suddenly felt a wave of pride, as this was the first time she had acknowledged her 'job' to someone other than Joly, Enjolras and Phillie.

Phillie turned round from plating up their food, when she heard that one of their guests had arrived.

"Well, don't you look pretty Lottie!" grinned Phillie at her friend's daughter.

"Thank you, Phillie!" grinned Lottie, standing up to give Phillie a hug.

"Ah, it's nothing dear," she turned to Enjolras when Lottie was seated again. "Where's this young Nicolette that you tell me so much about?"

"Why does everyone look at _me_, she's _Éponine's_ friend too-" Enjolras started to complain.

"You talk about Nicolette to Phillie? Aww, Enjolras you cutie!" Éponine grinned, squeezing his cheeks playfully.

"Leave me alone, 'Ponine! Go bug Joly," Enjolras complained further.

"Oh yes, dearest Joly!" she rounded on him, causing him to groan with worry. "Tell me how you asked out this lucky lady here?"

"Shut up, 'Ponine," he blushed.

Éponine laughed at his embarassment, and both Enjolras and Lottie joined in her laughter.

"Why don't you tell me Lottie, about Joly's declaration of undying and eternal love for you?"

It was Lottie's turn to blush. "W-We haven't s-said that yet..." she mumbled, embarassed and awkward.

Enjolras sucked in his breath, "Nice one, 'Ponine."

Joly and Lottie both looked awkwardly around the room and Éponine cursed under her breath.

"Woops, I apologise, I didn'- PHILLIE!" Éponine exclaimed upon seeing the woman bring over their food, glad of an excuse to end that awkward conversation.

Enjolras chuckled, and even the embarassed pair found it in themselves to join in laughing.

"That hungry, 'Ponine?" oblivious to the situation at hand.

She nodded fervently, as Phillie placed a plate of food in front of her, and she quickly stuck in.

"Enjolras?" called out a female voice from the door. Enjolras got up and went to greet Nicolette, but not before Éponine managed to tease him about Nicolette calling out to him, instead of Éponine herself, proving she valued Enjolras as more than a good friend.

Enjolras quickly came in with Nicolette, and Éponine stood up to hug her excitedly.

"Woah, 'Ponine, calm down! You saw me a few hours ago," Nicolette laughed.

"She's been like this all day since she sewed that dress for Valerie's friend," Enjolras told her, pulling out a chair for her.

"Oh, no, no! I'll move, I wouldn't deny Enjolras the chance to sit beside Nicolette," Éponine teased with a hyper grin still permanently etched on her face.

Joly rolled his eyes, Lottie laughed, Enjolras blushed, and Nicolette seemed oblivious and nodded, sitting down beside Enjolras. Éponine sat at the top of the table, and Phillie sat at the other end.

"Well, isn't this brilliant! We have a table for six, and we've got it filled! Looks like Lottie and Nicolette will have to come over for dinner alot more," Éponine winked at Joly and Enjolras.

"You are a force to be reckoned with," Joly muttered.

Sometime later, and Lottie and Éponine were talking about sewing, and Nicolette and Joly were talking about politics, while Enjolras and Phillie were currently engrossed in a conversation about her children.

"I know you know Nicolette through your sewing, but how does Enjolras know her?" enquired Lottie, curiously.

"Well, he walked me over the first day, and the poor boy got so infatuated with Nicolette, that he hasn't stopped coming!" slurred a tipsy Éponine.

Lottie giggled at her drunken state, causing Joly to look over at Éponine. He groaned when he saw that she was well on her way to becoming drunk, and so did Enjolras. Nicolette joined in laughing with Lottie, as did Phillie.

"So, Enjolras!" Enjolras looked down, anticipating the worse, cursing. He knew anything could come out of her mouth at this point. She'd restricted her teasing about Enjolras and Nicolette to small innuednos, and private, slightly disguised jokes, but Nicolette was none the wiser what Joly, Lottie and Phillie thought that was so funny, that also made Enjolras blush.

"Yes, Éponine?" he replied warily, and Joly had to try hard to stop his laughing.

"Oh, don't worry, I'll get to you in a moment," Éponine narrowed her eyes at Joly, and then proceeded to burst into fits of laughter.

"Anyway! When exactly did you two plan on telling the rest of us that you were courting?" she pointed her fingers between Nicolette and Enjolras, waggling her eyebrows.

Enjolras blushed, and Nicolette accidentally spat out the water she was drinking.

"What?" she squeaked.

"You two!" Éponine continued seriously, waving a shaky finger between them. "It's _so_ obvious that you _love_ each other, and so far you haven't told us that you're together!"

"That's because we're not-"

"Well, then, Enjolras! Ask Nicolette would she like to go to the opera with you! Ask her if she would like to become your lady friend!" demanded a very drunken Éponine, banging her fist on the table jokingly.

Joly, Lottie, and Phillie were finding it hard to control their laughter at Enjolras' discomfort, and Nicolette's confusion.

"I will not ask her out to the opera just because you told me to, Éponine," Enjolras glared at Éponine.

"But you would have asked her out if it wasn't forced by me?" smirked Éponine, twisting his words easily.

"Nice one, 'Ponine," winked Joly, referring to Enjolras' frozen state.

"Would you?" asked Nicolette, turning round to face him seriously, ignoring Éponine and Joly.

"Ooooh, look at Enjolras! He's blushing, Phillie, look-"

"Honestly, Éponine, please do calm down," Phillie warned, eyeing Enjolras, who was speechless, and Nicolette who was still waiting on an answer. When Éponine went to tease Enjolras some more, Phillie got up and walked down, and put a hand over Éponine's mouth.

"Would I have what?" Enjolras asked, clearly putting off the inevitable.

"Would you have asked me to the opera if Éponine hadn't forced it? Would you have asked me to become your "lady friend" as Éponine put it, if she hadn't forced it?" she asked him straight out.

Éponine tried to interrupt, and praise her own match-making skills, but Phillie muffled her. Phillie, Joly, and Lottie all waited patiently for the answer.

Enjolras looked down at his hands, and then looked up at Nicolette, nodding slightly.

Nicolette's face broke into a wide smile, and Enjolras' face came alive with relief.

"I would have accepted," Nicolette grinned back.

Phillie, had taken her hand off Éponine's mouth to place over her chest with her other hand in a proud gesture.

"Ask her properly!" demanded a giggly Éponine.

Enjolras glared at Éponine. "I'll have a long talk with you later, 'Ponine," Enjolras warned, although his eyes betrayed his mask of seriousness, with relief and delight.

"Will you come to the opera with me, Nicolette?" he asked sweetly.

"Of course, I will!" she nodded happily.

"I'm happy for you, Enjolras," Joly grinned.

"Congratulations," Lottie smiled at him.

Phillie rushed over to hug Enjolras, "her son" as she liked to think of him.

"Oh, I couldn't be any happier for you, Enjolras!" she laughed.

Enjolras nodded his thanks at all his companions, a big grin.

"Congratulations, Enjy!" chirped a high-pitched, tipsy voice from the corner, causing the rest of the group to burst out into laughter.

...

**Who doesn't love tipsy Éponine? I decided to let Éponine have her fun, because: **

**1. She's always so serious in the book + musical, so I wanted to show another side of her that I've imagined. **

**2. Somebody needed to tell Nicolette and Enjolras to hurry their arses up and get together. **

**3. I really miss Grantaire;)**

**I know I said I wouldn't update before Easter, but I'm leaving for Dún na nGáll tomorrow morning until Tuesday/Wednesday, and felt guilty so I gave you another update!**

**As I mentioned before, I'd like to pay my respects to the victims of the Easter Rising, who died fighting for Ireland's freedom on Easter Sunday in 1916. We in Ireland owes what we are as a country today, to these brave men and women. These amazing people paved the way to a peaceful Ireland. And while there's still a lot of tension, and we're yet to gain our freedom, you've done most of the work for us lads, we owe you. **

**I'm sorry for that last little dedication, but I felt my need to pay respects to the 318 that were killed, the 16 that were executed and the 2,217 that were injured during Easter in 1916.**

**Please Review, It's my inspiration!**

**Lé grá, **

**Ó,**

**Niamh Ní Luachra x**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

**This is dedicated to my Granny Gillen, who passed away at home on Monday aged 92. I already miss you so much Granny, I love you, and I always will. You're away from all the sickness and pain now Granny, you can finally find some peace. We love you, and we'll never stop loving you. I'll see you again someday, not for a while, but I promise you, I'll see you smile again. **

**R.I.P Gráinne Gillen, 27th August 1920 - 1st April 2013.**

**...**

"Nicolette?"

"In the back room!"

Éponine swept through the small shop to the back room, which doubled as an office and a place to sew.

"Well, how was it?" grinned Éponine.

"How was what?" Nicolette asked innocently.

"The Opera! With Monsieur Enjolras!"

"Oh, so you're back to calling him Monsieur? I thought you were over that. Or maybe just when you're drunk," laughed Nicolette.

"Stop avoiding the question!" she demanded, picking up the white dress on the table, and the design sketch beside it.

"It was good," smiled Nicolette shyly.

Éponine put the dress on a hanger, and clipped the design and contact details of the client to the hanger.

"That's great," she smiled back, equally as pleased that Enjolras and Nicolette seemed to be going well. "When is she collecting this?"

Nicolette nodded. "She's collecting it this afternoon."

"It's lovely, hard to make though. Those ruffles were nearly impossible," Éponine shuddered. "Who is this for? You never said," she smiled casually, until she read the contact details for the client and realization dawned on her face, along with a grimace. "The lark, why didn't I see that coming?"

"What do you mean?"

"She always has to have the best of everything! She always has to have better than everyone else! She always get's everything...everyone. And I'm stuck here with nothing and no-one, catering to the woman who ruined my life, and took everything away!" she huffed, burying her head in her hands.

"Éponine, she'll be here for a half hour, at the most. You can stay back here. What did she do that was even so bad?" enquired a confused, and curious, Nicolette.

Éponine sighed; she had told Nicolette nothing about Marius. She decided that this girl was one of her only friends, and that she'd have to own up to her sooner or later.

"When I was very young, my parents ran an inn. I had a loving family, a happy life, and an innocent childhood. A young girl, a Cosette stayed with us. Her mother paid my parents to look after her, and they did. But, she did all the chores, and my parents treated her like dirt. I was only young, I didn't know any better, so I did the same. I know that's no excuse, but still. Then, a rich man came and took her away. My parents turned their hatred to me, and the inn went downhill. As time went on, we were thrust into poverty, by parents' stupidity. My father ordered me to thieve in the day, and then he'd let his disgusting gang have me in the night. I lost my innocence at a very young age, and I had no choice. If I objected to anything, or talked back, I'd be beaten. I was miserable, and seriously considering taking my own life. I had nothing to live for, I had no-one to live for, I had no purpose, and no way out. But then, I met a boy. Marius Pontmercy," she smiled at his name, despited recent events. "He was the only man ever to be nice to me, and he was a light in the dark, a way out of my misery. I quickly fell in love with the only kindness ever shown to me. For years, we were friends. I loved him, but I was sure he wouldn't want a street rat like me. And then Cosette turned up. Cosette, from my childhood. Her leaving had been the turning point in my life, when it had all gone wrong. I was edging further away from my father and his gang each and every day, and things were started to pick up. But Marius fell in love with Cosette at first sight. Who wouldn't, if they associated with an ugly, stupid, thieving street rat like me, constantly? I led him to her, I brought them together, and I carried their love notes back and forth," she shook her head, tears starting to form. "I was deeply in love, I would have done absolutely anything for him! And I did...I fought with him at the barricades, I couldn't face the thought of uncertainty, him getting hurt, a world without him. I stood in his harm's way, and I stopped the bullet from piercing him. He thought I was dead. I thought I was dead. But I got better. He told me he loved me, and I believed him. I'm certain now, that he didn't. Because that very day, he ran off to elope with none other than Cosette. She took away, and continues to take away, every glimmer of light in my life. And now, I'm preparing to give _her_ the dress that _I made_, so that _she_ can marry the man that _I love_!"

Nicolette had already pulled Éponine in for a hug before she ended her story.

"I didn't know...You stay here, and I'll deal with her when she comes, is that alright? We'll talk about this after work, yeah?"

Éponine nodded, wiping her tears with the back of her hand, and rubbing them on her dress. Nicolette brought the dress out to the front, so she was ready when Cosette came.

The day came and went, without much fuss. An elderly lady came in looking for a dress for her grand-son's wedding, and a young lady came in to pick a dress to wear to the opera.

Nicolette was on her break, and Éponine was tidying up the rack after the young woman going to the opera, when Cosette came in. Outside the shop, Éponine noticed a carriage, and Cosette was followed by two ladies around her age, one with brunette hair, and one with black. Éponine had no idea where Cosette would have friends from, but she let it pass.

Éponine walked over to her, and went to talk to her as she would a normal customer, but Nicolette quickly cut across in front of her.

"Good afternoon, Madame, how may I help?" Nicolette smiled sweetly.

"You're aware that I'm here to pick up my dress, and I'm here for dresses for my bridesmaids also."

Éponine looked the two girls up and down. She'd assumed she wouldn't have any friends, and was definitely curious. But all her attention was taken by the blonde in the middle of the group, as she tried not to reach out, grab her, and scream at her.

Even listening to Cosette talking about her wedding was making Éponine feel angry, and her fists were clenched.

"I'll sort you out with your dress, and Éponine here will sort out your bridesmaids, is that alright Madame?"

Cosette nodded, even though the look on her face proved she'd rather put Éponine through the saddening ordeal of discussing wedding plans with her.

Cosette and Nicolette went to the left of the shop, where her dress was hanging, while Éponine and the two girls proceeded to the rack on the right side.

"Do you know what the bride wants?" Éponine asked, beginnning to flick through the dresses.

"Red," nodded the black haired girl.

"I didn't quite catch your names," Éponine smiled, picking up a few red dresses, in different measurements, shades, styles and lengths.

"Placidé," smiled the brunette.

"Irénée," replied her friend.

"Well, I'm Éponine. Here, try these two on first," she grinned, when they reached the fitting room.

Ten minutes later, and the girls had decided on their dresses. It seemed that Cosette didn't care about the bridesmaid's dresses being made specially, as long as she, the bride, shone and stood out.

Irénée's dress fit perfectly, but Placidé's needed altered. She was standing on a small platform, while Éponine placed pins in her dress where the adjustments were needed, and Irénée was sitting on a chair beside them.

"So, how are you two friends with the bride?" Éponine enquired casually, pretending to be conversational and just broaching on a topic of conversation, but really, she was aching to know.

Irénée rolled her eyes, and Placidé groaned.

"What's wrong?"

"Well, I wouldn't we're friends," compromised Placidé.

"Then why are you her bridesmaids?"

"Well, we knew her from the convent from our teenage years. We hadn't talked for years, when she suddenly contacted us out of the blue. She had no other option, and she bribed us into it. We weren't even that good of friends at the convent, I couldn't tell you the first thing about her, except that she's not the nicest of girls," Irénée answered.

A black-mailing, lonely Cosette sounded more like the Lark she knew, than a social Cosette with friends did.

"Well, I'm not exactly her biggest fan either," Éponine laughed.

"Meaning?"

"Long story short, whenever she turns up in my life, everything seemed to go wrong," Éponine concluded, putting the final pin in place. "There, that should be alright. Get changed out of that, while I show Irénée's dress to Cosette," she picked up the dress and left the fitting room, and went to the back room, where Cosette was paying.

"Is this alright, Madame?" she smiled patiently, even though her fists were curled into balls.

"Yes, they'll be alright," Cosette waved it off, not even looking, too busy admiring her own dress.

"Well, that should be it then. You've paid, for all three dresses, you're free to go when your bridesmaids are changed," Nicolette smiled, and the two bridesmaids came out on cue.

Pleasantries were exchanged, and they left. Éponine exhaled a breath that she hadn't realised she was holding in.

"You can relax now, Éponine. Your fist is white from how long it's been clenched for," Nicolette laughed.

"Well, I'm not a fan of that garce, and neither are her bridesmaids!"

"Forget about her, she won't bother you again," Nicolette smiled.

Little did they know how wrong they were.

...

**Sorry this took so long, but I was away for a long while, and then my Granny passed away on Monday. I wasn't planning on writing for a while, but I got a horrible review and I really needed to respond to it, since the charming guest 'Juliette' who wrote it was too lazy or cowardly to use an account.**

"You are really a douche with Cosette, I mean, she is with Marius. Get over it. You are not Éponine and you will never be. Éponine doesn't get Marius. I know it was really quick when Marius and Cosette 'fell in love' but they did. That's life, we can not always get what we want. And if Éponine decided to suffer to death that was HER choice, nobody forced her to die for him, I mean, he wasn't even his friend! He barely knew her! She was a 'friend' but for God's sake! That girl lacked of autorespect. She didn't love herself, she suffered because she wanted to! She led Marius to the barricade in her bitterness! She killed herself! She hide a letter from Cosette! She wanted to kill Marius! My God! And you say Cosette's the bad girl? She was only a girl who suffered a lot. She didn't have a mother and Éponine's mother and also Éponine trated her like shit! Oh yeah, but poor Éponine, she was the 'real' victim of the story. Fuck off world. I can't believe people's lack of reflectiveness."

**I'm sorry, but that's just downright rude, disrespectful and stupid. Yes, you're entitled to an opinion, we all are, and this world would be pretty boring if we all liked the same things. I like Meponine, you don't, that's fine. You like Cosette and Marius, I don't, that's fine. But when you start to impose on other people's opinions and beliefs, and try to make them feel stupid about themselves, their opinions, and the story which I have put a lot of time into, it becomes the work of a disgusting human being. I have never claimed that I am Éponine, so where the hell did that come from?! You know what, I may not have the nicest portrayal of Cosette, but how I portray Cosette in MY story is MY choice, and most definitely not yours. So what if she's not nice in this story? If you want to read about a nice Cosette, with a happy, lovely Cosette+Marius relationship, you do that. But if you want to read about that type of story, why in the name of God are you reading a story which clearly states "Marius/Éponine"? No-one told you to read this, you didn't have to, and if we don't share an opinion, there is nothing anybody can do about that. But I would appreciate it if you could at least have the morals and dignity to respect my opinion and my rights to believe what I want, and have the interpretations and portrayals that I see fit for my story. Yes, Cosette suffered. The entire cast of Les Mis suffered, it doesn't make her special. Éponine didn't want to suffer, you idiot! No-one deliberately leads a life like hers! Marius and Éponine barely knew each other? I'm sorry, they were best friends. Have you seen Les Miserables recently?! Everybody has a mother, even if they're not with them. Éponine was brought up with no other example, so how could she have known any better? Yes, Éponine was a victim. The entire cast of Les Miserables were victims in some way or another. You "can't believe my lack of reflectiveness"? I can't believe your lack of dignity, respect and morals! You don't know me, so don't pass judgement on me. As to the comment "Fuck off world"? I don't appreciate swearing, and I'm sure a lot of other people on this site are the same. Do not DARE call me a "douche" because we don't share the same opinions. I've had a horrible few days, my granny who was like a second mother to me, passed away, and you made me feel terrible about myself and this story in what was already a terrible and sad time for me. Now go away, and leave me alone before I buy you a dictionary and teach you how to actually spell.**

**As per usual, names meaning something. Irénée means peaceful, and Placidé means calm and placid, because the two girls are too quiet, calm and shy to stand up to Cosette about the fact that they hardly even know each other.**

**Thanks for the reviews that were nice to me, please send more!**

**Le grá,**

**Ó,**

**Niamh Ní Luachra.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

**I DO NOT OWN LES MISERABLES OR ANY CHARACTERS INVOLVED.**

...

Enjolras paced the small living room, restless.

"Come on, girls, we'll be late!"

"Oh, be quiet Enjolras," snapped Éponine, although she was grinning. She was wearing a light green dress that she herself had made, with spare material from the shop. Her hair was curled softly, both Nicolette and Lottie's work.

"You look lovely, Éponine," he smiled at her, pretending not to notice her comment.

"Thank you, Monsieur," she laughed, pretending to curtsey, but nearly tripping over, causing her to burst into rough, un lady-like laughter, frequently snorting in doing so.

"It's Enjolras. And no offence, but Éponine, I'm not quite sure you were born to be a princess," he shook his head.

She nodded, still laughing.

"Where are Lottie and Nicolette?"

Éponine tapped her nose. "Nosy!"

Enjolras raised his eyebrow at her.

Éponine rolled her eyes. "They're getting ready!"

"How come it's taking so long? You're done already, why aren't they?"

Éponine shook her head, and again rolled her eyes.

"A lady doesn't wake up ready for a night at the opera!"

"I know that, but if you're done, shouldn't they be?"

"Well, I haven't got a Monsieur accompanying me! I don't have to impress anybody! I could go looking like a dog, and no-one would care!"

"You wouldn't look like a dog," Enjolras chuckled. Secretly, he was singing inside. Nicolette was making a special effort, just because the man she was courting was accompanying her? He felt special, and a little bit smug.

"Thank you. And don't go getting arrogant because Nicolette is making an effort. She would make an effort anyway, and her dress is much more fancy than mine. You can't just slip on a dress you know, two buttons, and be done! And her hair is thicker, and she did my hair for me, her and Lottie," she smirked at him, knowing just exactly what he was thinking.

"Remind me again, why are we bothering to take you?"

"Monsieur Enjolras!" she exclaimed, in mock digust and shock, before bursting into laughter again. "Because I am your best friend, and because it's sociable, and because it's a nice thing to do. Also, when you become far too much for Nicolette to handle alone, I'll swoop in for moral support," she grinned.

"You will not 'swoop in' to a conversation of mine and Nicolette's, to ruin it with some interesting quip about the 'lady in the far corner who looks like the re-incarnated, female Christ'," he shook his head.

"Hey! She did, I swear-"

"I wasn't there, but I don't think she did. From what Nicolette says, she definitely didn't, and you aren't a very good whisperer. She left the shop?" he grinned at her.

"It's not my fault! She wasn't meant to be listening, it's her fault for being nosy. And she did! She had this serious, sad look about her, and Enjolras, she had so much facial hair, it was nearly a beard! How am I supposed to dress someone who looks like-"

"Éponine, we went over this you know. You really should keep your opinions to yourself, especially with the customers!" laughed Nicolette, emerging from the room where the girls were changing.

"Colie, tell him that she did look like-"

"Colie?! That's your nickname for me, Colie?!"

"Well, yeah," Éponine nodded.

"At least it's better than Enjy," Lottie grinned, entering the room.

Enjolras groaned, and Éponine laughed. Lottie joined in, and Nicolette did too, in spite of the situation.

"Enjy," Éponine started, looking at Lottie, who quickly picked up.

"And Colie!" grinned Lottie.

"Enjy and Colie!" they soon laughed, synchronised. Enjolras and Nicolette shot death glares at the pair, and Joly took that as his cue to emerge from the kitchen.

"Enjy...And Colie? You guys, that's cute," winked Joly at Enjolras, knowing he would more than likely already be in a mood with Éponine over this.

Éponine flashed a grin at Joly, "You agree?"

Joly nodded with a smirk, standing behind Lottie, his head resting on her shoulder, and her arms clasped in front of her, hugging her around the waist.

"Well, I must go tell Phillie about this name! Be right back! I'll only be a minute, Enjolras, before you jump off the Seine with impatience, so don't worry," she warned looking at the pair. As she looked at Joly and Lottie, then looked back to 'Enjy and Colie', she saw the obvious difference, between Joly's arms comfortably around Lottie, and the other pair in a stance which made them look no more than friends. "Oh, and Enjy? Take a leaf out of Joly's book, don't stand there all stiff ignoring the fact that you can't wait to kiss Nicolette," she laughed again, quickly running to find Phillie before Enjolras could reply.

Enjolras stood there with an uncomfortable, blushing look on his face, but Nicolette rolled her eyes, lifted his arm, and placed it around her shoulders. He soon found that it wasn't as bad as he thought it might be, and relaxed.

Éponine came back not long after, her arrival announced by shrieks and snorts of laughter.

"Right, let's go!" Enjolras smiled, motioning to the door. The group shouted their goodbyes to Phillie, and left for the opera.

...

"That was brilliant!" Éponine exclaimed as they left the opera late at night.

Joly nodded, and Lottie, whose face was on Joly's shoulder, smiled in agreement.

"It was okay," Enjolras disagreed.

Éponine stuck her tongue out at Enjolras, and Nicolette laughed.

"I thought it was great," Nicolette countered.

Enjolras rolled his eyes at the two, but the smirk was quickly wiped off his face.

He had felt a tap on his shoulder, and turned cautiously to see who had touched him. When he saw, he turned full around, and stood strong. The girls and Joly kept walking for a few seconds, until they heard Enjolras shout, and realised he'd stopped.

"What are you doing here?!" Enjolras growled.

Lottie and Nicolette turned round first, and gave each other confused looks. They had no idea who he was. Joly turned next, and he stuttered.

Éponine soon turned after, and she gasped, and felt tears in her eyes.

Marius.

_Marius._

_Marius, the boy she loved. Marius, her best friend. Marius, her saviour._

_Monsieur Pontmercy, the fancy soon-to-be groom. Monsieur Pontmercy, the man who abandoned her._

_Marius, and Monsieur Pontmercy, were two completely different characters, two completely different roles in Éponine's life...two completely different people._

The heavy, hot tears in her eyes threatened to fall.

"M-M-Monsieur?" she managed to choke out, her tears over-coming her.

She didn't know why.

_Were these tears of happiness?_

_Were these tears of sadness?_

_Were these tears of anger?_

_No._

_They were a mixture of all, happiness, sadness, and anger._

She'd never encountered such tears before. But she had reason why.

_He turns up, after months! He left me..._

_But I love him..._

Éponine backed away from him, moving towards Joly and Lottie. Joly pulled her into a hug, comforting her with soft whispers, while Lottie reached in her bag for a tissue.

Marius moved towards her, reaching out his hand.

"Pontmercy," warned Enjolras with a snarl, reaching out and grabbing him, pulling him back from Éponine, whose tears were in full flow.

"Enj-"

"No. Can't you see how upset she is?! That's after a few months. I will not stand by and let you ruin her again."

"I didn't mean to!"

Enjolras raised his eyebrows with a glare.

"I swear, Pontmercy-"

"It's Marius!"

"No, when you _abandoned_ my best friend, the girl who _loves you_, after you let her believe that you returned those feelings, you lost the right to any friendly conversation. You're lucky I'm not taking you away from 'Ponine by _force_."

"'Ponine?! That's my nickname for-"

"You really want to claim rights on _Éponine_?!"

"Y-No-Just Listen! C osette made me! She told me it wasn't safe!"

"No she didn't! You kissed, you're getting married!" Joly shouted.

"That stupid, spoilt garce shouldn't have _any_ power over a _son of the barricade_. And if she _does_ have power over him, then he does not deserve the honour of even being _associated _with the brave men who died for France."

"But, she threatened me!"

"What, she said she'd tell her Papa on you?!" Nicolette added, knowing little about the situation, but knowing enough from 'Ponine's rants that the girl was stupid, spoilt, and relied heavily on her Papa.

Marius noticed her for the first time, looking her up and down.

"Who are you?" he asked, confused.

"I'm a best friend of Éponine's, Joly's and Lottie's, and Enjolras's girlfriend," she answered evenly.

Marius laughed, despite the situation.

"You cracked the marble statue?!"

Nicolette recognised this quote immediately. _Éponine_.

"Is this really how you want to butter up Enjolras?" interjected Lottie.

Marius then noticed the girl comforting Éponine, who was turned away from him, still crying into Joly's shoulder. Hurt swept his face at the sight of 'Ponine, but decided he'd better keep a calm head if he was to sway Enjolras.

"I suppose you're Lottie then?"

She nodded firmly.

"And you are-

"A good friend of Nicolette, Éponine and Enjolras, and Joly's girlfriend."

"You've both got girlfriends?" Marius asked disbelieving.

"Again, this isn't the way I would go about swaying Enjolras and Joly," Nicolette narrowed her eyes at Marius.

"But, you're out with your girlfriends, and Éponine is-"

"Pining over a man who doesn't deserve it," Joly angered.

"But, I- Please just listen to me."

"Why should we?!"

"Enjolras, please, I...I love her."

Éponine looked round, her eyes bloodshot and her face bright red, tear tracks running down her face.

"What?" she stuttered.

Marius smiled weakly at her, and then turned to Enjolras.

"Please, Enjolras?"

"You have ten minutes."

...

**I'm sorry!**

**I'm awful at updating, I know, and it's nearly been two weeks.**

**I'm so sorry again, but these past two weeks have been awful. I've been listening to "I'll see you again," by Westlife, and "Lord, I'm coming home," on repeat. And crying. A lot.**

**I cannot thank you enough for all your support in light of my Granny Gillen's passing, and that negative review. I am overwhelmed by your support and I really cannot put into words what your support means to me. Honestly, it's good to have someone not connected with the situation offer words of supports, and I really cannot put into words my appreciation.**

**Hopefully, I won't take as long to update again, but I apologise in advance if I do.**

**Thank you so much.**

**Léis an grá i mo chroí, Ó Niamh Ní Luachra.**

**(With all the love in my heart, from Niamh Ní Luachra.)**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

**I DO NOT OWN LES MISERABLES OR ANY CHARACTERS INVOLVED.**

...

"You have ten minutes," Enjolras granted with a glare, a hard stony look in his eyes.

Nicolette, seeing how hard it was for Enjolras to let some semblance of Marius back into Éponine's life, reached for his hand, and held it tightly. When she looked at Enjolras, he was smiling thankfully at her. His eyes soon flashed to Marius, who was making his way over to Éponine.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Pontmercy. Stay right here, don't even _think_ about going near 'Ponine," he snarled.

Marius looked back at Enjolras, whose expression was as hard as steel, and then to 'Ponine, who was still quivering with sobs, although they were starting to falter. She looked at him with confusion, anger, sadness, and thought clearly on her face. He looked back to Enjolras, and nodded reluctantly.

Now half way between the two, he decided to stay where he was._ At least I'm out of Enjolras' reach,_ he thought.

He looked to Éponine, unsure wether to begin. She offered no solution, and he nervously twisting his hands around each other in an anxious dance.

"She _forced_ me. That's it. I couldn't help it, I-"

"Wait," Enjolras interrupted, beginning his inevitable interrogation. "Cosette, a small, short, weak bourgeois, forced a tall, strong, _revolutionary_? That makes sense," he remarked dryly, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"She- She didn't force me physically. She told me that the streets weren't safe, that the police were already looking for us. She said, if I went with her, that she'd help me to keep you all safe."

"But we are safe, they're too scared of us. You shouldn't have gone with her, regardless. And we, people who survived a war against the government, can protect ourselves better than the girl who has done nothing productive in her life, that I know of," Enjolras challenged.

"I didn't know that we were safe! Admit it, Enjolras, you were wary too! We didn't know for sure, who would risk their life on a possibility? I know I shouldn't have, I know that now. But I thought about the connections that her father would have, he used to be the Mayor! But he's old, frail, and the people who he knew are long dead, or unable to help us due to old change. He has no connections now. But I didn't know that."

"You stupid man, of course he has no connections! Why would he?"

"I was just hoping for a miracle, because that's what we needed! And we got one, we're safe!"

"So you knew we were safe? Why didn't you come straight back?" asked Joly, interjecting for the first time, narrowing his eyes.

Enjolras suddenly realised the thought he'd missed out on, and felt momentarily embarassed, but then turned another glare to Marius.

"Cosette, again! She-She's just manipulative, I don't know how to explain it! And...And the letter! The letter you sent me! The one where you said to stay away, or else you'd tell the government where I lived!"

"You did _what?!_" shrieked Éponine, joining the conversation for the first time.

Enjolras ignored this.

"That was because I thought you were intentionally leaving 'Ponine, and marrying Cosette. How could I have known that you weren't willing?!"

"You couldn't have, " Marius agreed with a slight smile, glad that attention had turned away from his bad decisions, and that Enjolras had begun grovelling, instead of himself.

"YOU TOLD HIM TO STAY AWAY?! YOU IDIOT!" shrieked Éponine, a bottle of emotions just waiting to explode, and it seemed Enjolras' letter revelation had opened the lid to that bottle, all of her anger just spilling out over the top.

"I thought he would hurt you again," Enjolras defended himself, turning to her.

"YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE DONE THAT! SHOW ME THE LETTER! SHOW IT TO ME NOW, OR I SWEAR I WILL THROW ONE OF YOU OFF THE SEINE!"

"It's at the house, I don't have it..." Marius trailed off, scared of this side of Éponine he'd never seen before, even if it wasn't directed at him.

Enjolras was petrified.

But again, Joly had a point to make that Enjolras hadn't thought of.

"Éponine, I helped Enjolras write that letter, and that wasn't even the main essence of the letter. That was a little side note at the end! And actually, Enjolras was telling him to tell _Cosette_ to stay away from you at the shop! He didn't say _anything_ about Marius staying away, now that I recall," he remembered, turning to raise his eyebrows at Marius, who gulped.

"I...She forced me!"

"As we've heard three times now, I think it is Lottie?" interrupted Nicolette. Lottie nodded.

"Then what do you want me to say?!"

Enjolras faltered. He couldn't think of anything else to discuss, except an apology.

"I swear, Pontmercy, if this is a lie and you really are just going to go off and marry Cosette, I will hunt you down," he threatened.

"You won't have to, because it isn't!" Marius was getting frustrated. He still had yet to talk to Éponine.

"And you'll apologise to 'Ponine and never leave her?"

"What do you think? Of course!" Marius asked with a smile.

Nicolette nodded, taking control. "Let's go Enjolras, I want to show you a dress I made," she grinned, winking at Éponine. She knew she hadn't made any dresses recently.

"Hmm, I'd like to see it too," Lottie nodded, dragging Joly with her.

Marius laughed after they left, suddenly awkward.

"They're not very subtle are they?" he asked nervously.

"Marius, you left me," she stated, ignoring his attempt at a conversation starter.

"I know, 'Ponine," he nodded. "But like I said-"

"I know what you said. I know what you said the day we met Marius, I'm not forgetful. Especially not when it comes to you," she smiled slightly.

"'Ponine...I'm so sorry. Words can't describe how sorry I am. I'm so sorry that I left you. I'm sorry that I never came back. I'm sorry I never offered an explanation. I'm sorry I let Cosette anywhere near you. I'm sorry that we lost time..." he reached out for her hand," to be together. 'Ponine, I love you," he whispered the last part, looking into her eyes.

She stuttered. She couldn't force any words out of her mouth, and she didn't know what she would have said had she been able to.

Unable to express herself in words, she pulled Marius to her, hugging him tightly. He grinned, and hugged her back with all he had.

"I- Marius, I love you too...But I'm sure you know that," she added with a laugh at the end.

"I know, of course...But I wasn't sure you'd still even want to speak to me after that."

"I wouldn't have. But now I know it wasn't _entirely_ your fault," she smiled, just happy to be in his arms and know that he loved her.

"Entirely?"

"Marius, I'm not letting you off that easy," she warned. "You have a _lot_ of explaining to do."

"I know that."

"And I'm not going to make it easy for you. I'm_ never_ going to make anything easy for you."

"I wouldn't dream of it," and with that he leant down and kissed her.

...

**Thank you again for all of your wonderful support! It means so much.**

**MARIUS AND ÉPONINE KISSED!**

**I know, right?**

**But this isn't the end, don't you worry. Cosette is still under the impression Marius secretly loves her...and 'Ponine might just be getting a visitor.**

**Any guesses, leave them in a review please:)**

**Thank you, again!**

**Until next time,**

**Léis an grá i mo chroí, Niamh Ní Luachra.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

**I do not own Les Miserables or any characters involved.**

...

"How did it go?" Phillie asked chirpily the next morning at breakfast.

Enjolras smiled. "We saw...an old friend last night. But we don't know how that turned out..."

"What in the name of God, do you mean?" she asked confused, her eyebrows scrunching up, as she dished out breakfast onto the plates.

"We ran into Marius last night," grinned Joly.

Phillie stopped what she was doing, abandoning the eggs on Joly's plate.

"He what?! Boys, I hope you gave him a talking to- I don't- How's 'Ponin- Oh dear lord, where is 'Ponine?!" she fussed, anger pure in her face. "I swore to myself, if I ever saw the boy that ran away with 'Ponine's heart, I would-"

"You would what? Beat him with a wooden spoon?" grinned Joly, teasing playfully.

She shrugged. "I have plans...But they're far too evil for boys of your age," she added with a mischievous smile.

"Boys of our age?! We planned and survived a barric-"

"Irrelevant, anyways, back to the matter at hand! Where is 'Ponine? Is she alright, did she cry, did she scream, what did she say?"

Enjolras and Joly exchanged a glance, before Joly turned to Phillie with a grin.

"Well, Phillie...As far as we know, from all the singing and laughing she did very late last night when she came home, it went very well. Very _very_ well," he winked, a grin still permanently etched onto his handsome face.

Enjolras rolled his eyes at the immaturity, but 'Ponine clasped her hands together, and held them to her chest, quite like a proud mother would do.

"Well, where are they now?"

"Good morning," grinned a cheery Éponine, sweeping into the kitchen.

"Someone's in a good mood," remarked Enjolras with a smirk.

She stuck her tongue out at him.

"Phillie, I have the best news!" she laughed, clapping her hands, happy that there was at least one woman there to appreciate her news.

"What dear?" smiled Phillie, playing along.

"Marius turned up last night, explained and apologised. Cosette blackmailed him, he thought that she would hand us in if he didn't agree with her! And then we kissed!"

Phillie hugged her. "That's great, 'Ponine! Celebratory breakfast?"

Éponine nodded eagerly and went to sit down across from Enjolras and Joly, who immediately starting interrogating and teasing her.

"So, 'Ponine, have fun last night?" inquired Joly with an inital straight face, that was chuckling within seconds.

She rolled her eyes, and again stuck out her tongue.

Enjolras, however, had never really been one for joking like that. Sure, he'd definitely lightened up since the revolution, but he still wasn't the joker in the pack.

"He's coming to see you again today, I suppose?

Éponine nodded, glad to be momentarily released form Joly's teasing.

"Where are you meeting?" "Yes, I'm going to go to work, and then he's going to meet me afterwards," she smiled, her smile stretching from ear to ear.

"I bet you can't wait," chuckled Joly, still teasing.

"For your information, you're right. But you're just as bad when it comes to Lottie. And Enjolras is just as bad when it comes to Enjy and Colie time."

Enjolras groaned at the newfound nickname. He'd been hoping, with everything that had went on, she'd forgot.

"And the Cosette situation?" Enjolras asked, choosing to ignore the comment, deeply concerned for what the blonde could plan once she found out that Marius was booting her, and going with Éponine.

"She doesn't know. We're going to talk about that today," Éponine answered, sounding deeply annoyed to have to spend her first real time with Marius talking about _Cosette_, and serious things.

Phillie then brought over the breakfast, and the four chattered on, and the lift in spirits in Enjolras' apartment was obvious, even to a foolish outsider. ...

"Éponine, tell me everything!" Nicolette pounced once Éponine entered.

"Of course Colie! Well, just after you left..."

_"Let's go Enjolras, I want to show you a dress I made," Nicolette grinned, winking at Éponine. Éponine knew she hadn't made any dresses recently._

_"Hmm, I'd like to see it too," Lottie nodded, dragging Joly with her._

_Marius laughed after they left, suddenly awkward._

_"They're not very subtle are they?" he asked nervously._

_"Marius, you left me," she stated, ignoring his attempt at a conversation starter._

_"I know, 'Ponine," he nodded. "But like I said-"_

_"I know what you said. I know what you said the day we met Marius, I'm not forgetful. Especially not when it comes to you," she smiled slightly._

_"'Ponine...I'm so sorry. Words can't describe how sorry I am. I'm so sorry that I left you. I'm sorry that I never came back. I'm sorry I never offered an explanation. I'm sorry I let Cosette anywhere near you. I'm sorry that we lost time..." he reached out for her hand," to be together. 'Ponine, I love you," he whispered the last part, looking into her eyes._

_She stuttered. She couldn't force any words out of her mouth, and she didn't know what she would have said had she been able to._

_Unable to express herself in words, she pulled Marius to her, hugging him tightly. He grinned, and hugged her back with all he had._

_"I- Marius, I love you too...But I'm sure you know that," she added with a laugh at the end._

_"I know, of course...But I wasn't sure you'd still even want to speak to me after that."_

_"I wouldn't have. But now I know it wasn't__entirely__your fault," she smiled, just happy to be in his arms and know that he loved her._

_"Entirely?"_

_"Marius, I'm not letting you off that easy," she warned. "You have a__lot__of explaining to do."_

_"I know that."_

_"And I'm not going to make it easy for you. I'm__never__going to make anything easy for you."_

_"I wouldn't dream of it," and with that he leant down and kissed her._

_Éponine eagerly kissed him back, her hands going into his hair. His hands snaked gently around her waist. _

_"I mean it, 'Ponine. I love you, and I'm never leaving you again. I'm so sorry-"_

_"Marius Pontmercy. I have heard enough talk of that garce to do me a life time. Over the last few weeks I have thought about nothing but that stupid girl. She has come into the shop, and annoyed me beyond belief. Now, I have just been reunited with the love of my life, after he was taken away by said garce. Do you really think I want to spend my evening listening to generic apologies and discussions and explanations and even more talk of the garce? No, you're right I do not. We can talk about this in the morning. One more mention of the Lark or the word 'sorry' and I swear to God, Marius Pontmercy, I will move to England and never speak to you again," she warned._

_Marius chuckled knowing it was an empty threat, yet still just as scared of Éponine. "There's the 'Ponine I know. Thank God, I thought you were going soft on me, letting me have tonight without explanations," he leant down to kiss her forehead._

_"I'm not letting you off full time Marius, be sure of that," she smiled, and kissed him again._

_The kiss was broken aprubtly after minute or so._

_"Hide, Belle," he urged._

_"I could get used to being called Belle," she laughed quietly, and went to hide behind a bin._

_"Marius, darling?"_

_Éponine scowled._

_Of course, the Lark was here._

_"Love? Darling?"_

_No answer. Éponine grinned to herself._

_"Marius?" huffed Cosette._

_"Yes?"_

_"Are you coming?"_

_"No, I think I'm going to go for a walk. It's a nice night. You go back, I'll see you back at your Father's house."_

_'Ponine peeked around the side of the large bin, to see a sceptical Cosette._

_Luckily, if she had any doubts about his 'walk', she didn't voice them._

_"You know, you could just call it home," Cosette growled._

_"It's not home to me. It will never be home to me."_

_"And where is? You don't have an apartment, Monsieur Enjolras and Monsieur Joly won't be happy to see you, and that whore will be on the streets by now."_

_"For the last time, she's not a whore 'Ponine?"_

_"And for the last time, how can you be sure?" she smirked back._

_"Cosette, just go back to your house."_

_The spoilt girl pouted, and left quickly, stomping her feet._

_'Ponine emerged once she knew it was safe._

_They smiled, and kissed, and joked for ten or so minutes._

_"Listen, 'Ponine, I really must get back...The last thing we need is Cosette having suspicions."_

_She nodded sadly._

_"I'll see you tomorrow?" he smiled at her._

_"When? I have work tomorrow, until 4."_

_"Well, I'll wait for you outside Valerie's at 4," he grinned, kissing her forehead gently, and leaving, with one last smiling glance._

"'Ponine, that is the cutest thing I've heard in a long time!" Nicolette gushed.

"Cuter than 'Colie and Enjy'?" grinned Éponine.

...

**Hey guys!**

**I know not a lot of dramatic stuff happened in this chapter, but I really wanted some cute Marius/Éponine, and trust me when I say these two are never going to stop being all gooey and sickly sweet romantic.**

**yayy,i missed them! who else?**

**I know I said she might have a visitor, but that may not be for a few chapters.**

**Now, I know I'm awful at updating:( And I'm going to get a lot more awful! Four weeks until my exams, so I'll be a revision machine 'til then.**

**And, no update til next week, because I'm heading down to Dublin for the weekend to see my aunty Eiméar, my uncle Peádar and my cousins Sinéad, Róisin and Áodhan, who I haven't seen in forever, so I'm really excited!**

**And, on Sunday is the National League Final! This is the final of matches between all 32 counties in the country, and the fact that my team has reached it is a big deal. We haven't won one of these in the top divison since I was 3, so I can't wait!**

**See you all soon, Thanks for all the amazing reviews!**

**Léis an ghrá i mo chroí, Niamh Ní Luachra.**


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

**I DO NOT OWN LES MISERABLES OR ANY OTHER CHARACTERS INVOLVED.**

**This is dedicated to the girl who told me this was better than the original...I honestly don't believe that for a second, but THANK YOU SO MUCH! **

...

Marius quickly settled into life with Éponine, Enjolras, Joly, Nicolette, Lottie, and Phillie.

Éponine didn't take long to forgive Marius.

Phillie didn't take long to adjust to cooking for the whole group.

Marius didn't take long to adjust to the fact that he wasn't the only one that called Éponine 'Ponine'.

But Enjolras and Nicolette never accepted being called 'Enjy and Colie', as they were now affectionately known by all their friends.

"Enjy and Colie, one of you please pass the milk?" Éponine pleaded sweetly, an innocent smile plastered on her pretty face.

Marius laughed into his tea, and Joly and Lottie just gave each other a despairing look. They were sure it wouldn't be long before the annoyance inside Enjorlas fizzed up and exploded.

Just then Phillie came in and sat down beside Lottie. The pair were already close before Lottie befriended the group, and you could often find them chatting away in the corner of the kitchen.

"Now, Now, 'Ponine, how many times I have told you to tone down the 'Enjy and Colie' thing?" Phillie scolded.

"Just as many times as I've used the term inside this home," she smiled sweetly.

"Which is?" the old woman prompted.

"At least over thirty," she grinned proudly. Marius had recently taught her how to count to high numbers.

He'd also taught her some reading and writing, although at the moment it was very basic and still needed a lot of progress.

Enjolras rolled his eyes. "Thirty?! Under-statement," he grumbled.

"Woah, Enjolras, actua-"

"I think we should get going to Val's 'Ponine, before Enjolras throws a fit," laughed Lottie, who had also recently secured a job at the seamtresses.

Lottie stood up, and so did Joly, who gave her a hug and a quick peck on the lips, before picking up his plate to bring it to be washed.

Nicolette got up, followed by Enjolras, who seemed to be making progress in his "unmarbaliz-ing" as Éponine called it. Inspired by the Marble Statue quip, it was her term for making Enjolras seem less awkward around his girlfriend. He gave her a kiss on the cheek and a smile, before going to join Joly.

Éponine and Marius rose at the same time. Nicolette and Lottie groaned, and Joly and Enjolras ran for the kitchen, citing, "Run, Enjolras, before they start all that again!"

Not seconds later, Marius and Éponine were locked in a tight embrace and an everlasting kiss.

"Young ones," Phillie tutted, shaking her head as she left for the kitchen.

Nicolette and Lottie looked away almost instantly.

"It's been what, three weeks? And that pair still haven't calmed down!" Lottie complained.

"I know! They're going in reverse. Normally, you start off courting a lady politely. I don't know anyone as...openly, publicly physical as that, who isn't married!" Nicolette commented.

"Well, the way they go on, you'd think they were married," Lottie mused.

"I don't think it'll be very long."

"Really, Nic? I don't know. As...full on, let's say, as Éponine is, Marius is quite traditional and old-fashioned. I'd say he'd want to start off slow."

Nicolette pointed her thumb over her shoulder. "You call that _slow_?"

Lottie laughed. "You have a point." She then turned around, to see Marius and Éponine still locked in each other's arms. "Éponine Thernardier, you plan on coming with us any time soon or will we just tell Valerie that her rising star seamtress is late for work, _once again_, because she's too busy courting her man, _once again_?"

Marius realised this, and began to pull away, but Éponine wouldn't let him.

Nicolette came up behind Éponine and lightly hit her upside the head. The former turned around, with a look of anger on her face.

"Thank god," Nicolette rolled her eyes. She grabbed one of Eponine's upper arms, and Lottie quickly skipped up to take the other. They half-dragged Éponine out the door, and just about heard Marius shouting to Éponine that he loved her.

Éponine pouted when the girls proceeded anyway and didn't let her reply.

"You two are so mean to me," she huffed.

"Oh, calm down, you love us both," laughed Nicolette.

Lottie nodded. "We're doing this for your own good."

"Ha...Doesn't feel like that," laughed 'Ponine, already having forgave them.

They giggled and chattered the whole way to Val's.

...

At lunchtime, a mysterious woman came into the shop, her hair concealed in a masculine cap. She wore a long, simple, shabby grey coat, with what seemed to be a brown cotton skirt on underneath. Her face was stained with dirt and tears, and her hands were shaking. Her skin was filthy and tanned, although Lottie could not be sure if that was her natural skin tone or just the dirt. She didn't seem like a woman who would step into such a high end shop, but Lottie ignored this.

"Hello, Madame, how may I help you?" smiled Lottie. Nicolette and Éponine were in the back room, sewing, and drawing up dream dresses.

"I'd like...to speak to s-someone," croaked the woman hoarsely.

"Oui, Madame. I am an employee," Lottie smiled. Was this woman stupid?

"Non...A...A c-certain woman. A miss É-Ép-" she struggled to rasp out the words, all her energy having been taken up with the previous sentence, and the effort it took to get to the shop in her state.

"Éponine?" Lottie suggested helpfully.

The woman weakly nodded.

"Why don't you sit down in the mean time, Madame?" smiled Lottie.

She slightly shrugged, even then a frail movement.

Lottie helped her slowly over to a chair and sat her down, before turning and going to find Éponine.

When she did reach her, Éponine was laughing hysterically and Nicolette was giving her a desperate look. When she noticed Lottie, Nicolette jumped up.

"Thank God! I'm coming out there with you! I swear, that woman is insane-"

"'Ponine, you have a visitor," grinned Lottie.

"You serious? They haven't seen each other for three hours and Marius is already visiting her? There are normal mushy romantic people, and then there's that, and that's just wrong," Nicolette shuddered.

"Just because you're with Enjolras, who doesn't seem to know the meaning of romantic," Éponine laughed.

Nicolette rolled her eyes. "He's the smartest man any of us now, of course he does!"

"And his girlfriend doesn't know the meaning of sarcasm."

"It's not Marius!" interrupted Lottie.

"What? I don't see why Enjolras or Joly or Phillie would visit...Well, maybe Phillie."

"It's not any of them. I have no idea who she is!"

"And she wants to talk to me?" asked a confused, and disbelieving Éponine.

Lottie nodded. "Come quick, the poor woman's in a bad way."

Éponine got up and followed Lottie out. Nicolette came out too, curious as to who it was.

When she came out, Éponine saw the person she least expected to see.

"Maman?!"

...

**I'm back!**

**Thanks for all your lovely reviews, they mean piles and piles and piles!**

**So, what do you think of Nicolette and Lottie's thoughts that Éponine and Marius are going to get married sometime soon? How will Éponine react to Madame Thernardier? Why is she coming to see 'Ponine?**

**See you soon, hopefully!**

**Léis an grá i mo chroí, Niamh Ní Luachra. xx**


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

**I OWN NOTHING OF LES MISERABLES OR ANYTHING CONNECTED.**

**...**

"Maman? Why are you here?" Éponine demanded, folding her arms. She knew her mother loved her, and she was in an awful state, but she'd done nothing about her daughter's awful state for the past few years. So why should Éponine do anything for her mother, until she has the facts?

"R-R-Ran a-away," she croaked, convulsing around her center.

Éponine was more than shocked. She had convinced herself in a short few seconds that her Maman was here to do her father's dirty work and get Éponine to go back to her thievery and abusive home.

"I'll get her water," Nicolette excused herself.

"Lottie, can you get a cushion or something to support her back?"

Lottie nodded, and followed Nicolette's direction into the back room.

Éponine knelt in front of her mother, taking her hands.

"Maman, did you really run away? How do I know this isn't one of Papa's schemes?" Éponine asked, looking into her teary, bright eyes.

"I l-love you...I c-can't lose another child..."

"So you did run away?"

She nodded weakly. Éponine smiled and squeezed her hands.

"Are you okay? Are you injured, or are you tired and hungry?"

"T-tired, and hungry...B-bruises...a-a-and cuts..."

Éponine nodded.

"I know people who can help you. I'll get one of the girls to walk home, it's only a few minutes away. They're going to get the men, and they'll help take you home. In the meantime, I'll sort you out with some water. Is that okay?"

Madame Thernardier nodded weakly. Her wrinkled face looked the picture of fear and desperation, and she stretched her skin into a smile for the first time in weeks. When had her daughter become this organised and caring, and helpful? She couldn't help but feel a bit of pride.

Nicolette and Lottie came back with water and cushions, and Éponine asked them to get Enjolras, Joly, and Marius. Nicolette left, and Lottie stayed to help with Éponine's mother.

"So, you're Éponine's Maman?" smiled Lottie, trying to keep the woman happy and distract her.

Madame Thernardier nodded slightly, a weak, yet proud smile, on her tired face.

"Well, Éponine and I have a friend called Joly, whose a doctor. He should be able to help. We also have a friend Enjolras, and he's going out with Nicolette, he's a very serious character, but he's cracking. And then there's Marius, Éponine's-"

"I think Maman needs rest? I can catch up with her later," Éponine hastily interrupted at the mention of Marius. Madame and Monsieur Thernardier had known about Marius, and he wasn't exactly their favourite character.

Lottie smirked, and laughed slightly. Madame Thernardier looked curiously at her, but ignored it, and shakily lifted her water for a drink. Her stomach grumbled, and she clutched her centre again.

Not a few minutes later, the men arrived.

Marius was the only one to recognise Madame Thernardier, and he shared a wary, cautious look with Éponine. She shook her head as if to say ,"Not now," and asked them to help escort her mother home.

**...**

"Madame Phillie?" Éponine called out.

"Oui, ma chérie?"

"We have a special guest, and she's injured and very sick. Where should I put her?"

"Hmm, in your room, 'Ponine. I'll be there in a minute with some food," Phillie ordered.

Enjolras, Marius and Joly carried her in and placed her on Éponine's bed. When she was laid down, Éponine stood beside her bed, looking down with worry. Marius noticed this, and hadn't a clue why she had had a complete turn in affections for her mother. He walked over to her and wrapped her in his arms, and she buried her face in his chest.

Éponine had no idea how bad her mother's situation was, but she had nearly always feared the worst since a young age, and had reason. She couldn't stand losing anyone else.

Joly quickly checked out her injuries, and then smiled up at Éponine.

"Éponine, she's going to be fine. She's not too bad, just a few glass wounds and bruises. Time and rest will heal the bruises and muscle stiffness, and I'll clean and bandage the cuts now. Once your mother gets fed, bandaged, washed and rested, she'll be just fine."

Éponine felt a smile growing on her face. She had been genuinely worried for her mother, despite the fact she hadn't seen her in ages, and despite the fact that she didn't have the best upbringing. She grabbed Joly for an enthusiastic hug, and ruffled his hair.

"Thanks, Jole," she grinned.

He raised his eyebrows. "Jole?"

"Well, we've got Colie, Enjy, and Lottie's name is already a nickname. We couldn't leave you out could we?" she smiled sweetly.

Joly laughed and shook his head, going to get his bandages from the kitchen.

Phillie brought in a tray of food, and helped feed Madame Thernardier.

"I-I'm no Ma-Madame...T-Thé...," she tried to say, but couldn't finish her sentence.

"Thérese? You want us to call you Thérese, not Madame?" Éponine prompted.

Her mother smiled thankfully, and nodded slightly.

"Well, Thérese, you eat up and then Joly's going to clean you up and bandage you."

**...**

That night, Marius and Éponine were curled up on their sofa.

"Why?" Marius suddenly asked, interrupting the sadness.

"Why what?" Éponine looked up, confused.

"Why the sudden change in affection? You tried to get away from this woman and her husband for years, and now you're beyond concerned for her safety?"

Éponine looked down, and remained silent. A few moments later, she looked up at him.

"I always knew that my Maman loved me, but she was too scared to stop my Papa. Just as I was too scared to run, she was too scared to stop him. When you grow up with no love, you'll cling to anything that shows any signs. And she did. We always sort of knew...She never said anything, but I knew. It was the little things. When I was supposed to clean the floors, she'd take the brush as soon as my father turned her back. If the men in the gang advanced on me, or Papa started trying to trade me to them, she'd hitch up her skirt or something else along those lines to distract them from me. I'll always be thankful for that, and even though we both have weird ways of showing each other, there's a love there somewhere."

Marius nodded, overwhelmed. He kissed her forehead, and she nuzzled back into his neck.

**...**

The next morning, thanks to an excessive amount of water, Thérese Thernardier's voice was back, although it was still raspy.

Éponine visited her in the morning, and went to sat beside her bed, taking her hand.

"How are you, Maman?"

"Better than I've been in a long time," she smiled. "Thank you so much, 'Ponine, and all your friends too."

Éponine nodded. "It's no problem. I'll tell Joly and Enjolras you said merci, they're great men," she grinned, trying to avoid the subject of Marius.

Thérese nodded. "I think I've seen that Marius boy before..."

Éponine looked at the floor, anywhere but at her mother as she realised.

"He was your friend, wasn't he? Before all of this revolution...He's always been your friend, hasn't he?"

Éponine nodded.

"He seems lovely," Thérese granted with a smile, sensing something more.

"Yea, he is," Éponine smiled.

"That must be why you're courting him then, I assume?"

**...**

**I AM SO SORRY! **

**I am weighed under with insane amounts of revision. I have to learn the last three years of maths, in the space of like three weeks. I'm afraid I probably won't update much, if at all, until the end of my tests, which are on the 31st May. Then I spend all my summer in a holiday caravan in Rós Neamlach, Dún na nGall with no internet connection...So I plan to finish up this story by the end of June:(**

**Again, SO SORRY!**

**Léis an grá i mo chroí,**

**Ó Niamh Ní Luachra.**


	20. Chapter 20

**I DO NOT OWN LES MISERABLES OR ANYTHING TO DO WITH IT.**

..."S-Sorry, what?" Éponine spluttered, surprised at her mother's enquiry.

"Éponine...You don't have to hide things from me. I'm not the best of them, but I'm a mother, your mother. I can pick up things, especially when it comes to my own children. I've known you were in love with him since the first time you met. I'd never seen you together, but I knew. You'd come home happier...You were hardly ever as sad as you formerly were...Not even when Cretéin would make you...do things, for his gang," she shuddered, shocked that her husband would do such a thing to their daughter.

Éponine smiled slightly. "Well, then, you're right. I am courting him because he's lovely...And thoughtful, and handsome, and understanding, and just the most wonderful man I've ever met," she smiled happily, trying to let her mother in; as well as feeling sorry for her, she'd always longed for a mother who cared, and she was beginning to act more like a mother, therefore Éponine should act more like a daughter.

"I'm so happy for you, 'Ponine," her mother said, standing up to give her a hug.

"You shouldn't be up, Maman!"

"Dear, I've already walked around your home about four times this morning while you were all asleep. I have a cold, and bruises, but I can walk and talk and live normally, so don't worry about me," she smiled lovingly.

Éponine nodded, and leant against the bed.

"So, you can walk just fine?"

"Of course I can."

Éponine's face lit up.

"Bring him in," Thérése smiled.

"What?" Éponine asked, all her previous happiness out the window and half-way to the Seine.

"Marius. I just want to talk to him," she assured her daughter from her fragile position on the bed.

Éponine smiled slightly and left to get Marius.

"Marius, dear?" Éponine called, unsure of where he was.

"Yes?" replied a husky voice, slipping his hands around her waist, and spinning her around.

Éponine grinned, and when he set her down, lightly pecked his lips.

"Maman wants to talk to you," she smiled.

Marius gulped and his eyes widened. For years, he had learnt to fear Éponine's parents. He was sure they didn't like him either, keeping their daughter away from work.

"It's okay," she smiled. "She's an old woman, she can't hurt you. And anyway, she said you're lovely."

"She did?" he started to regain hope that this conversation could go well...

"Also, just a heads up; she knows we're going out."

And there we go, Marius confidence in the success of this conversation plummeted.

"She knows? How does she know?! She doesn't like me, not her, not your father, he's going to kill me!"

"Sssh Marius...She figured it out. She does like you. And we haven't really breached the subject yet, but I hardly think her _running away_, running to _me_, means that she's still on good terms with _him_," Eponine reasoned.

Marius smiled slightly, and kissed Éponine lightly on the forehead, before retreating to her room. Éponine sighed and sat down, waiting for this conversation to be over.

...

Marius knocked on the door of Éponine's room, but not before kissing her on the forehead.

"Come in," Thérése said, weakly.

Marius slipped around the door, going to stand beside her.

"You wanted to talk to me?"

Thérése nodded, smiling. "Yes. I just want to know, what your intentions are with Éponine?"

"I'm sorry?" Marius replied, confused beyond belief.

"Well, Éponine has been hurt by enough men in her life. That's why I need to know that another one isn't going to leave her."

"Madame Thernardier-"

"Thérése. Call me Thérése," she smiled.

"Of course...Thérése, I would never leave your daughter. She means everything to me. I can't imagine life without her again."

"Again?! You left her?!"

"No, No, No! Well...sort of, but I didn't want to. You see, there was a Cosette..." At this, Thérése's eyes visibly widened.

"What did that little bitch do to my daughter?" she snarled, resembling the Madame Thernardier he'd always known.

"You see, I previously went out with Cosette, I was stupid, infatuated...I thought I was in love. Éponine got injured on the barricades, and I thought she was dead. I was left in the dark for two days...The worst two days of my life. But then I realised she was alive. And I also realised that I loved her. I was preparing myself to tell her, but then Cosette turned up. She said the government were hunting down Joly, Enjolras, and 'Ponine, and if I married her, that she would use her father's contacts to keep us safe. I stayed there for ages, until I realised that she wasn't helping to keep them safe, and that the government were too afraid of them to chase them. In the mean time, Cosette had paid a visit to Éponine without my knowledge...Let's just say, 'Ponine doesn't have a sieve in her mind, and she told Cosette exactly what she thought of her and the whole situation. Cosette left the shop very...humbled, and quiet," he chuckled slightly.

"Éponine really gave it to her, anyway. Then a little while later, myself and Cosette were at the opera, but so where Éponine, Joly, Enjolras, Lottie and Nicolette. We talked, I explained myself, and we planned. I left Cosette, and she's yet to reappear. Éponine has a job at Valerie's seamtress, and is an amazing sewer," Marius finished, releasing a breath.

Thérése smiled to herself. "She sews?"

"Oh yes. She can cook, sew, clean, and I'm halfway through teaching her to read and write," Marius smiled.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"Everything. When I was too scared to be there for you, you were. You've given so much to her, you've given her the love she deserves. I don't think I can ever make it up to you," she smiled.

Marius looked down at his hands, and twisted them against each other, a clear sign of nervousness. "Well, there's...one thing."

"Anything!"

"Can I have your permission, to take her hand in marriage?"

"Of course!" Thérése grinned, and locked him in a bear hug.

When she released him, she went to the door. "But before that happens, I have one more...thing to take care of."

And with that, she set out in search of trouble.

...

**My tests start on Tuesday, so I'll be wayyyyyyy busy til then!**

**Thanks again for all the reviews! They, and you, are all absolutely amazing!**

**I HAV 86 FOLLOWS! I can't believe that 86 people get an email about my updates, I actually cannot believe it. And 47 faves! You guys are AMAZING!**

**I love you all loads, till next time!**

**Léis an grá i mo chroí,**

**Ó Niamh Ní Luachra.**


	21. Chapter 21

**I DO NOT OWN LES MISERABLES OR ANY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS.**

**...**

Éponine smiled, skipping past Marius, planting a kiss on his cheek.

"I'm off to the shop, see you later?"

"Yea," he smiled.

She danced out the door. This wasn't unusual for Éponine these days.

Now that she had Marius, and her mother, and friends, she couldn't stop from being happy, and she showed that in every word, in every action.

"Joly?" Marius turned to his friend, sitting opposite him at the table.

"Hmm?" Joly murmured, lost in his newspaper.

"I'm going to ask 'Ponine to marry me," Marius grinned.

Joly's head snapped straight up, and he laughed slightly. "Seriously?"

Marius nodded. "Definitely."

"Well, have you asked Thérése?"

"Yes, of course...She seems very excited. Although, she said she had to take care of something first. I'm not sure what..."

"Probably just some surprise. Anyway, when do you plan to do this? I'm so happy for you two, honestly," Joly grinned.

"Thanks, Joly. I'm not sure...Do you have any ideas? I mean, I'd ask Enjolras, but he has not the slightest idea of romance. I'd ask the girls, but they' tell-"

"Of course, I'll help. I might just have a few ideas up my sleeve," Joly winked, reached for a piece of paper to start scribbling down plans.

...

Madame Thernardier slowly walked through the streets of Paris, looking for one certain pawn shop.

When she finally reached Boutique Gage de Durand, she slipped through the front door, taking a silent look around.

She was finally noticed by a young handsome man, who looked only a few years older than Éponine. He had a structured face, and curly hair.

"Bonjour Madame, how may I help you?" he smiled warmly.

"Bonjour. I'm Thérése Thernardier, I came here a long time ago to pawn an engagement ring that belonged to my mother. It was a fine and beautiful ring, so very expensive. It was golden, with a red ruby set in. Do you still have it?"

"I know the ring you're talking about, it was delightful. But I'm sorry, it's out on loan," he apologised.

"Well, I need it today. Who has it, so that I may talk to them?"

"Let me check," he smiled, walking over to a desk with a large, aged book on it. He opened it, dust flying out. He flicked through, until he found the right page, and traced it lightly with his finger.

"I believe it now belongs to a Madame Cosette Fauchelevent."

...

Thérése raced through the streets of Paris, despite her injured state, driven on by determination and adrenaline.

Having lived on the streets of Paris all her life, she knew where absolutely everyone lived, including Cosette.

She banged on the door, waiting for Cosette to open it. She figured, if she was at least patient, she'd have more chance of retrieving the ring.

Cosette opened it, and gasped, her eyes widening.

"What are you doing here?" to this day, Cosette was still scared of the woman.

"I'm here to get that pretty ring back," she replied, lowering her eyes to the ring on Cosette's finger.

"W-Well, you can't have it," Cosette defended weakly.

Thérése pushed past her into the home, and stood in the hallway, and closed the door behind her.

"I'm not leaving until I do," she demanded calmly.

"I told you, you can't have it."

"In case you hadn't notice, you stupid child, but it's mine, and you only have it on loan. As soon as I want it back, I get it back."

"But..it's mine!"

"Answer me this, why do you even have an engagement ring?"

"I'm not telling you."

"I'm sure you remember how cruel I can be, so you better tell me now lest you want me angry," she snarled.

Cosette was immensely terrified of her, "I-I was hoping, if I left it down somewhere in the house, pretending that my father had left it, Marius would hurry up and ask me to marry him.

Thérése laughed shrilly. "You sad, sad little bitch...As a matter of fact, Marius doesn't need hinting to propose. He's planning to ask for my daughter's hand in marriage, all his own thinking. So you're _never_ going to have a use for that!"

"He is?" she looked devastated.

"How are you surprised?" laughed Thérése. "Your looks may catch the eye, but personality wins the heart, and as far as I'm concerned, you have none of that. Hand over the ring."

Cosette, in a state of shock, slipped it off and handed it over, staring into space.

Thérése smirked and powered out the door, happy to have the ring back.

...

"Marius?" called out Thérése, bursting through the door, exciting to tell him about the ring.

"In the dining room," he shouted back.

She rushed through, to find Joly and Marius adding to a long list on the table.

"We're, uh, planning the proposal," Marius smiled. "I want it to be special."

She nodded. "I can help with that," she took out the ring from her pocket, and clasped it in her hand.

"My parents had a long, happy marriage. They loved each other to the last mile of the way, and they were an inspiration to anyone in love. I wanted to give something special to this; after all, I definitely owe 'Ponine. I didn't want to put you out of money, because you've already done so much for my daughter. I would have given you my ring, only my marriage was awful, stressful, and lacking love. I wanted a better example for my daughter. I remembered that I'd pawned my mother's ring a long time ago, and when I went to get it, it wasn't there. Turns out that Cosette had it, so I payed her a visit. Well, she's still scared of me to this day, so it was simple. I just turned on the old, harsh, cruel Madame Thernardier, and she was easy to convince," she smiled, placing the ring on the table in front of them.

Joly and Marius stared at it, wide-eyed.

"Thérése, that is beautiful," Marius wondered.

"Beautiful ring for a beautiful girl," she smiled.

"You got that right," Marius chuckled.

"Well, Marius, we're definitely going to need a special proposal to match this ring," laughed Joly.

**...**

**Thanks for reading, supporting and reviewing this fic!**

**Sorry it took so long, but I've had three exams a day all week. They're over now, and the teachers should be going easy on us, so I'll try to update more!**

**You are all amazing, and I love you for following+reviewing!**

**Léis an grá i mo chroí,**

**O Niamh Ní Luachra x**


	22. Chapter 22

**I DO NOT OWN LES MISÉRABLES OR ANY OF THE ORIGINAL CHARACTERS**

...

"Oh, Bonjour Enjolras!" smiled Éponine, sweeping through the shop.

He entered the pretty seamstresses, and looked around.

"Nicolette's in the back," Éponine laughed, almost reading his mind.

"Am I that obvious?" he smiled slightly.

She nodded. "It's beautiful watching a human being go through such a change," she added sarcastically, dancing around her broom, pretending to be soppy and wise.

"You're mental," he chuckled, walking past her into the back room.

"I know," she half-sang, as she finished sweeping the floors.

When Enjolras went into the back room, he found that Nicolette wasn't there, only Lottie.

"She just left to get more silk from a lady down the road, she'll be back in a few," Lottie told him, clutching a cup of tea.

Enjolras sat down. "Éponine said she was in here."

"Well, Éponine is being kind of...dreamy today, I don't know how to describe it. She looks happier than usual for some reason," Lottie shrugged.

"She's about to get a whole lot happier," chuckled Enjolras.

"Is that possible?" Lottie laughed, passing him a cup of tea.

He nodded his appreciation, and took a drink before answering. "Marius is proposing," he said with a slight smirk.

"No way!" Lottie gasped, nearly spilling her drink.

"I just came from the apartment, Joly and Marius are planning it."

"I can't believe that! Oh my...Éponine's going to be so happy!"

Enjolras smiled. "I know."

"Do they have any plans so far?"

"Well, they want to do it next week...Marius has got a ring at least, Thérése gave her Éponine's grandmother's ring. I think he wants to do it on the street where they met, but he's not sure. All he's got is men's opinions, and that's only helpful to an extent."

"That's a lovely idea! You tell him, and if he needs a woman's point of view, Myself, Phillie and Colie are all available."

"Colie? You too?" he shuddered.

"Oh yea. It's catchy, you have to admit," she winked, laughing, moving to wash her cup.

He rolled his eyes, just as he heard the familiar jingle of the chimes above the door when it opened.

"Hey Colie, Enjolras is round the back waiting for you," they faintly heard Éponine chirp.

"See? How can you resist that? Colie, Enjy...it's just so-"

"Don't say it!" Enjolras warned.

"...Adorable!" Lottie grinned, ignoring him.

"You know, you're getting to be just as bad as 'Ponine..." he chuckled.

"If I ever do, slap me up the back of my head please? Don't ever let me get like that!" she laughed.

"Bonjour Lottie, Bonjour Enjolras!" smiled Nicolette, reaching up to quickly peck Enjolras.

"Hiya Colie," she smiled.

"You're starting to spend too much time with Éponine," Nicolette narrowed her eyes.

"You two are just as bad...You used to be okay, but now you're all soppy..."

"Oh shut up, Miss 'I can't go five minutes without kissing Joly."

Lottie laughed. "At least I will admit that's true. Anyway, there's far more important things than Enjy and Colie romance-" this emitted a groan from the mentioned couple, "Marius is going to propose!"

"What?!" Nicolette gasped.

"I know!" squealed Lottie.

"That's so-"

"Don't say it!"

"Adorable!"

Enjolras groaned. "I hate that word."

**...**

The night arrived. A week after he initially told Joly he would propose, the plan was in place.

It was a pretty Saturday night, quiet, with a light breeze, and the stars were sprinkled across the sky.

Nicolette and Lottie were to take Éponine to the street, under the name of just a plain walk.

Enjolras, Joly, and the girls would then stand around, making sure no-one interrupted. It was a quiet night at a closed market, so there was going to be hardly any one there.

"And then I told her, "Madame! We don't do nightdresses!" And she threw one. Apparently "Fine seamstresses of beautiful dresses," screamed 'pyjamas' to her...Honestly," Éponine laughed.

The three were walking towards the street, their arms linked.

Suddenly, Nicolette and Lottie detatched themselves from Éponine, and grinned at her widely.

"Go on," they laughed.

"What are you doing...?" Éponine asked, suspicious.

"Just go on ahead, you'll see," they encouraged.

Éponine shook her head, confused, but walked on anyway. Ten seconds later, she found herself in the middle of the familiar market, but with little bright lanterns around her. There were flowers lying everywhere, and she smiled. What was this?

Marius emerged from behind a stall.

"Hey," he grinned.

She nodded and laughed. "What is this?"

His face suddenly grew serious. "Éponine, I remember the day we met here. You were trying to pickpocket me, and I turned around to see the most mischievous grin on your face. I couldn't help but laugh at how much of a rascal you looked, and I found it hard not to laugh around you. Soon, we were best friends. I now love you. To this day, you still have that mischievous gleam in your eye that first made me took notice. You still make me laugh every single day, you still light up my days, you still make me smile until it's sore. I love you, and I cannot imagine a better person, a better best friend. I really do love you with all my heart."

He took a deep breath, and knelt down, just as she emitted a gasp. "My Dearest Éponine, will you marry me?"

She grinned widely, frozen for a few seconds.

"Um...Éponine?" he asked unsurely.

She shook out of it, and nodded. "Yes! Yes, of course!" she laughed, running forward to hug him.

He picked her up and spun her round, setting her down and kissing her passionately.

Cheers erupted from around them, as their friends walked in. Nicolette and Lottie ran straight for Éponine, squealing and giggling. Joly and Enjolras chuckled, going to shake Marius' hand and clap his back.

**...**

**Yay! I know this was a little bit short but I didn't want to ruin it by putting in something else, I just wanted to leave it at that. I know this is all seeming all fluffy and lovely, but I promise there is drama to come!**

**Thank you for all your lovely, amazing reviews! You guys are just classy!**

**I was so proud of myself! I had this finished yesterday, and I think that might be a record for me. But I uploaded it to Doc Manager, and forgot to post...ahwell!**

**Also, I forgot to mention this in the last chapter. The pawn shop is called Boutique Gage de Durand. 'Boutique Gage' means pawn shop. As per usual, names mean something! 'Durand' is a surname meaning 'enduring'. I used this as 1. Éponine's granny's ring has been EXTREMELY enduring over time. 2. Marius and Éponine's love and marriage is going to last a long time:D**

**Léis an grá i mo chroí,**

**Ó Niamh Ní Luachra x**


	23. Chapter 23

I DO NOT OWN LES MISÉRABLES OR ANY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS.

...

The weeks after the proposal flew by, and now, 3 weeks later, it was Éponine and Marius' big day.

The only people they had to invite were their friends, Phillie, and Thérése. They were only planning low-key, so once the chapel was sorted, it didn't take very long at all to plan.

Since Marius and Éponine lived together, one would have to find other accommodations for the night before and morning of the wedding.

While Éponine fully intended to spend the night before and morning of her wedding day with him, Marius had a much more traditional, old-fashioned approach to most things, and this held no change.

Marius had remained at their apartment, and Éponine was spending time at Lottie's.

Éponine stood in the living room of the grand house that Lottie shared with her parents, and family.

She wore a dainty, lacy, flowing dress, and a simple veil, hemmed with lace. She had made the dress herself, and Nicolette had made the veil as a wedding gift. Lottie had given her a fine pair of earrings and bracelet, only afforded because her family were quite well off.

Her brown hair was in curls, and Lottie had done them. She had some of her mother's make-up on, and wore a radiant smile, her eyes dancing with delight.

Her mother was the first to hug her, tears in her eyes.

"Don't cry, Maman," Époine laughed.

The next few minutes were a blur of compliments and congratulations.

"Éponine, you look beautiful, ma cherie!" Lottie's mother had smiled.

"The veil suits you, 'Ponine. Marius won't be able to keep his eyes off you," Nicolette winked.

"Your dress is wonderful, 'Ponine! You look amazing," Lottie grinned.

"Oh, ma Cherie, aren't you a beautiful young lady! I'm so proud of you, dear...Oh, you are just so beautiful. I'm so glad you came and sorted out my Marius," Phillie broadly smiled.

The chapel was literally down the road, so they had no problems walking.

The grey, picturesque chapel was of average size, but its insides had a warm, inviting feel. Marius stood at the cream altar, waiting for his bride. His palms were sweating, and Joly had spent half the morning assuring him that Éponine would turn up.

An extra, uninvited guest had turned up, but they sat upstairs, out of anyone's way, and remained unnoticed.

Lottie's sister played the piano and sang, as Éponine proceeded up the short aisle. Nicolette and Lottie, in pale lilac dresses, walked before her, and her mother walked beside her, smiling to herself with pride.

All through the ceremony, Éponine and Marius smiled at each other, and he dropped in the occasional wink.

Enjolras read the prayers of the faithful, and Joly did the first and second readings.

When the priest asked if anyone had to object, the pair just looked at each other and laughed. That was, of course, before the high pitched shout echoing from above their heads.

They looked up in wonder to see Cosette looking down at them over the balcony, a crazed look in her eyes.

"I object!" she smirked, disappearing only to skip down the wooden stairs, and stand beside the small group.

The priest looked bewildered. Never, in his entire journey as a priest, had anyone actually objected.

"Go home, Cosette," Marius sighed, fed up.

"No!" she laughed shrilly, before Thérése clapped a hand over her mouth.

"Won't be two minutes," she smiled sweetly, pulling Cosette out of the chapel.

The small gathering were left confused, and decided to wait for her return.

Meanwhile, Cosette was outside with Thérése, and started to look very fearful.

"Now, girl, you listen up. My daughter is getting married, and I will not have a tramp like you ruin it.

I have warned you before, and you didn't listen. It's always been about getting your own way, hasn't it? Well, guess what?! There's no Mamma or Papa to defend you this time, and I know find rightly you can't risk ruining your innocent act.

So, I'll put it straight," she snarled, taking Cosette by the top of her dress, as the young girl gulped.

"You, you little bitch, will stay away from my daughter, her friends, Marius, and anyone they know! Do you understand? If you don't, I'm sure my darling husband could explain it to you more forcefully," she threatened. Cosette didn't know that Thérése didn't associate with him anymore, and she didn't need to.

Cosette nodded frantically, her bright eyes wide.

"So, we're all clear?" Thérése smirked.

Again, Cosette couldn't agree quicker, but still stayed mute.

"Then scram, you little whore!"

Cosette ran off, petrified, and was never seen again by any of them.

Thérése strolled back in, fixing her hair.

"Don't worry about it, it's all...sorted," she smiled, coming to stand beside Phillie and Lottie's mother.

When the priest eventually told Marius to kiss his bride, Éponine grabbed Marius and enthusiastically started kissing him, ignoring their surroundings. Marius pulled away after Enjolras cleared his throat, blushing and embarrassed, but his new wife just laughed.

They had a small party afterwards in a grand hall down the road, paid for by the money Thérése had received for the pawning of her ring.

A few hours later found Marius and Éponine laughing and dancing.

"So...'Ponine Pontmercy," he smiled at her, trying out her new name.

She giggled, looking down, then right back up into his eyes.

"I like it," she smiled.

He grinned and leant down again for a kiss.

"Is the day living up to your expectations, wifey?"

"Wifey?" she ignored the question, bursting into fits of laughter at the childish nickname.

"Yea," he shrugged, chuckling with her. "Okay then, my dearest darling wife-"

"No, now you're too fancy," she shook her head, a mischievous grin on her face.

"Well then, what should I call my new wife?"

"'Ponine, Plain old 'Ponine," she smiled.

"You'll never be plain, 'Ponine."

"Don't I know it," she laughed.

Later in the night, a man who worked at the hall came up to talk to them. Marius was talking to Phillie, and Éponine approached the man.

"Madame Pontmercy?"

She smiled widely at her new name, and nodded enthusiastically.

"Yes, that's me."

"There's a man here to see you, a Monsieur Gillenormand?"

Éponine was confused, but glad Marius had some family here.

"So, will I send him up?"

"Oh, god yes! Send him up," she smiled.

The man departed, and Éponine beckoned Marius over. He came over gladly and slipped his arms around her waist.

"Yeah?"

Just at that moment, Marius' grandfather stepped through the door.

...

**Heyy!**

**Thanks for all the lovely reviews, and follows, and favourites!**

**Here's a pic of what Eponine's dress would have looked like: **

. /search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1366&bih=641&q=lacy+dainty+dress&oq=lacy+dainty+dress&gs_l=img.3...13114.17137.0.17..1088.5j2j2.9.0...0.0.0.. 1ac.1. .h9EJJAw7A1Q#hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=lace+wedding+dress+with+sleeves&oq=lacy+wedding+dress+w&gs_l=img.3.0.0i10i24.6566.6906.4.8..313.0j2.2.0...0.0.0 ..1c.1. .ArPIqAxo7fc&bav=on.2,or.r_qf.&bvm=bv.47810305,d.d2k&fp=df6f7f6434e384ea&biw=1366&bih=641&facrc=_&imgrc=r3jP3MlYtmQemM%3A%3BcjufMKLpzGaChM%3Bhttp%253A%252 F% .com%252FPublic%252FUploads%252FProducts%252F20111 223%252FA%252520Line%252520Lace%252520Off%252520Th e%252520Shoulder%252520Gorgeous%252520Bridal%25252 0Gowns%252520With% %3Bhttp%253A%252F% .com% %3B487%3B730

**I did base the chapel around my local chapel, Coill an Chlochair Naomh Mhuire:**

. /search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1366&bih=641&q=lacy+dainty+dress&oq=lacy+dainty+dress&gs_l=img.3...13114.17137.0.17..1088.5j2j2.9.0...0.0.0.. 1ac.1. .h9EJJAw7A1Q#hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=killyclogher+chapel&oq=killyclogher+chapel&gs_l=img.3..0.45632.50861.0.51..1940.6j11.17.0...0.0.0. .1c.1. .AhKhQOzPz4c&bav=on.2,or.r_qf.&fp=2de4ba81222893c&biw=1366&bih=641&facrc=_&imgrc=WSK8knydCd2R8M%3A%3B7vUmXr2wDGl4cM%3Bhttp%253A%252 F% .com%252F3636%252F3448932948_ %3Bhttp%253A%252F% .com%252Fphotos%252Fsandraarmstrong%252F3448932948 %252F%3B333%3B500

**Please don't forget to review, thanks a bunch!**

**Léis an grá i mo chroí,**

**Ó Niamh Ní Luachra.**


	24. Chapter 24

**I DO NOT OWN LES MISERABLES OR ANY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS.**

**...**

"Maman, why is he here?" Éponine grinned at her mother, knowing full well she'd never be innocent in situations like these.

"I may have slipped an invitation," Thérése smirked.

Éponine laughed, and took a drink out of her glass. "Well, I'll leave them be," she smiled.

The pair giggled and laughed together, Éponine tipsy and Thérése well on her way to being drunk. Ten minutes or so later, Marius and his grandfather rejoined them, smiles on their faces, and the women stood to greet them.

"Grandfather, this is my new wife Éponine," Marius introduced, slipping his arm around his new wife's waist.

"Please to meet you, my dear. Although I dare-say we've met before?"

She smiled and nodded. "On the streets, Monsieur."

"Oh no, no, please call me Mathieu," he chuckled.

She nodded, and Marius gestured to Thérése.

"And this is her mother, my lovely new mother-in-law, Thérése Thernardier."

"Nice to meet you, Mathieu," she grinned, extending her hand.

"The pleasure is all mine," he smiled, shaking hands with her.

Lottie rushed over in that instant, frantically.

"What's wrong?" Éponine asked, worried.

"It's Enjolras!"

"What?! What happened, is he okay?"

"He just proposed!"

"No way!" Éponine squealed.

"He must of been planning this for weeks, he'd be too worried it'd go wrong," Marius chuckled.

"I know! But he did! He doesn't even have a ring, it was just spur of the moment!" Lottie rushed, a buzz of excitement. At that moment, she noticed Mathieu, and hurriedly curtseyed, embarrassed at having ignored him this long. In response, he kissed her hand.

"Oh my, who's this?" she smiled, impressed at his manners.

"That's my grandfather, Mathieu. Grandfather, this is our friend Lottie," he grinned.

"This Enjolras, he is the same one I know of?"

Marius nodded.

"And he proposed?"

Again, Marius nodded.

"What a transformation," Mathieu chuckled.

Joly soon walked over, followed by the newly engaged couple.

"I'm so sorry, 'Ponine, that we took the attention away from you two for a minute there-"

"Oh, wise up, Colie," Éponine laughed. "I'm so happy for you!"

"Grandfather, this is Enjolras, our friend Nicolette, the one whom he just proposed to, and that's Joly. You three, this is my Grandfather Mathieu."

...

Half an hour found most of the group dancing around the room somewhere. Joly and Nicolette were laughing, and Thérése found herself leaning on Marius for much support in her drunken state. Lottie and Mathieu were talking at a table, and Éponine was just coming back from the bathroom, when Enjolras stopped her.

"I just realised we haven't had a dance, 'Ponine. You avoiding me or something?" Enjolras questioned playfully, joking along.

"Never," she grinned, dragging him out.

"So, this day lived up to your expectations?"

"More than, there was something I didn't expect at all," she grinned slyly.

"What, Cosette turning up?"

"No, Enjy. You finally doing something romantic, and spontaneous, without any prompts from us lot. I mean, we're like your Cupids! The Marble Statue got himself engaged," she laughed, playfully punching his arm.

"I'm perfectly capable of something romantic!" he argued, with a grin on his face.

"Oh yeah, like what?" she challenged, unable to contain her laughter.

"I'll show you all, at my wedding."

"You realise how high my hopes and expectations are for that wedding now, don't you?"

"Yep."

"And you know that if you so much as annoy Nicolette, I will cut all your hair off in your sleep and call you Enjy on a permanent basis?" she warned.

"Wouldn't have it any other way," he grinned. "And if Marius ever hurts you again, just tell me, and I'll sort it."

"What do you mean by sort it?"

"I'll give Cosette his address," he smirked.

Éponine's head flew back in laughter as she danced with Enjolras.

"Look at you, all emotional and protective, it's almost like having a big brother," she grinned.

"I'm flattered, but that would never work."

"And why's that?"

"I'm tall and blonde and gorgeous and brilliant...And you're Éponine," he chuckled.

She gasped in mock shock. "Monsieur, I'm sure your lovely fiancée wouldn't like to hear that."

"I'm being serious, 'Ponine. You're more than gorgeous, more than brilliant. You're beautiful, and perfect," he smiled.

"Aw, Enjolras! See, I knew you were a big softie inside," she triumphed.

"You should have heard my proposal," he smirked, pride clear in his face.

"I'm sure I'll hear it at work about seventeen times before the first customer even comes in on Monday," she grinned.

"Suppose so, awful to be you!"

"Thanks for the moral support, big man!"

"I'm not big, you're just small."

And with that, Éponine and Enjolras were back to being the two best friends who tease and laugh at each other's expenses.

...

The following Monday at work, Nicolette, Lottie and Éponine were giggling arounds cups of tea. Nicolette, as predicted, was now launching into her 9th re-telling of Enjolras' proposal. The door opened, and Lottie got up to greet their customer. When she reached the door, all her two friends could hear was laughing. They cautiously, curiously, went out to join her.

What they saw, also made them laugh; Cosette was standing in the doorway, red faced, embarassed, clutching the wedding dress she would no longer need.

"I-I'd like to return this," she mumbled, humiliated.

"Why?" Nicolette asked, pretending to act dumb. Éponine swatted her arm playfully, and Lottie turned to Cosette.

"Sorry, no can do. That dress was made especially for you, therefore, we can't take it back. It's your measurements, and your design. Nobody's going to want it," Lottie smiled, trying to be helpful.

Cosette narrowed her eyes. "Of course you can take it back! You just don't want to because it's me!"

"Actually, it is a rule," Lottie replied.

"We wouldn't refuse you a refund, as we don't take personal matters into the workplace. I suggest you do the same," Éponine interjected.

"What am I meant to do with this?!" Cosette demanded, angrily.

"We don't provide uses. We provide dresses. However, I suggest you don't kidnap a groom again," Nicolette smirked.

"Can I get any money, at all?"

"Oh yes, of course, you keep your dress and we'll give you money for it," Lottie sarcastically added.

Cosette groaned in frustration, and stormed out of the shop.

"Well, I don't think she'll bother us again," smiled Lottie.

**...**

**You guys!**

**First off, thanks for all your lovely reviews! **

**Second, we've had a reunion, cute Enjolras/Éponine friendship, and a final farewell to Cosette. I really don't know what more I can do, I think this is the last chapter. I'll add a next chapter, 20 years on or something along those lines, and thats it:(**

**Thanks so much for your support the whole way through, it was and still is absolutely priceless.**

**Is grá an léis i mo chroí,**

**Ó Niamh Ní Luachra x**


	25. Chapter 25

**I DO NOT OWN LES MISERABLES OR ANY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS.**

**...**

_**20 years later**_

Marius chased after his two young daughters, following the squeals and laughter.

He easily could have caught them, but deliberately slowed down and pretended to be out of breath, much to his daughters amusement.

He soon snuck up behind them, and took a daughter on each hip.

"Come on, rascals, time for bed!"

He laughed when they groaned and pouted.

"Amelie, Dorothée, should you not be in bed?" Éponine entered with a grin, taking Dorothée.

"No, Maman, we're big girls. Gavroche doesn't have to go to bed early!" Dorothée protested.

"You're seven. Seven year old girls go to bed at seven. Next year, you'll go to bed at eight. The year after you'll go to bed at nine. And that's because Gavroche is 15, he's a lot older than you so he gets to stay up later." Marius explained.

The two girls nodded, and their parents entered their pink room. They put the girls in their beds, and prayed together. When they were done, they kissed each girl on the head, taking it in turns.

"Maman?" Amelie piped up.

"Oui, ma cherie?"

"What age are you and Papa?"

"Let's just say we're above the age of thirty-five," they looked at each other, laughing.

"Well, does that mean you go to bed at thirty-five o'clock?" Amelie asked, curious.

Éponine shook her head and Marius chuckled.

"Non, Non, we'll go to bed in a few hours. I love you both!"

"We love you too, Maman!" they chorused.

"I love you, mon bébés," Marius grinned, tucking them in.

"Love you, Papa," they smiled.

Marius turned the lights out after Éponine left, and closed the door.

"This is new," Éponine smiled.

"What is?" Marius was confused

"Peace and quiet. _ is at Enjolras and Nicolette's, all the teenagers are there. And the girls are going over to play with Lottie and Joly's girls in the morning."

"So, that leaves us with?"

"Peace, quiet, and wine," Éponine smiled, lightly skipping down the stairs towards the kitchen.

Marius followed her down, and she was already pouring out drinks into glasses for just the two of them. He walked up behind her and slipped his arms around her waist, and started to place light kisses on her cheeks and neck.

She smiled, and arched her neck, before turning around to give him a glass of wine.

He smiled, and took it. "Merci."

She clinked their glasses together.

"Cheers," she smiled, before taking a sip.

"Cheers, ma belle," he tapped glasses.

Enjolras and Nicolette had a two year-old girl, a girl of the twins' age, a boy aged ten, a boy aged 13, and a girl aged 15. Joly and Lottie had three girls, aged 9, 14 and 18. Marius and Éponine had a son, and the two girls. Between them all, they had eleven children who all loved each other very much, and were hard to seperate. They were so close, as if they were cousins, or even siblings, and were always at one another's houses. All the older children were at Nicolette and Enjolras' home, and the younger children were all asleep.

They walked into their living room, and Marius sat down on the sofa. Éponine sat down in between in his legs, leaning back into his chest.

They sat there like that for hours, savouring the peace and quiet that was often so hard to find.

Éponine was still laughing from something Marius had said, and he was silently smiling down at her. She turned around to look up at him. They sat, staring into each others' eyes, for what seemed like forever, but was only a few minutes.

"I love you, 'Ponine, ma chérie" he smiled down at her after a little while.

"I love you too," she smiled up, before initiating a kiss. They kissed each other, before Éponine pulled away and stood up, holding out her hand. He grinned, knowing what this meant.

He stood up, and instead of taking her hand, he lifted her up bridal style. She threw her head back and laughed. She leant forward, and wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning forward to kiss him.

Through all the years, their love had never faltered. When two people share so many experiences, so many traumas, so many stories, nothing can defy them.

Twenty years on, they loved each other more than ever.

**...**

**You guys, this is the last chapter:(**

**Thank you so, so much for all the support you've given me throughout this whole fanfiction, it means everything to me. You are wonderful readers and reviewers, who gave me help and support during a really rough time around Easter and the passing of my Granny, and who stood up for me against mean reviewers; I honestly cannot thank you enough for being the lovely, amazing, beautiful, caring people that you are. You all are so kind, and everytime I open my emails to find a review, I smile, honestly. You are all perfect. Thank you, for everything.**

**Léis an grá i mo chroí,**

**Ó Niamh Ní Luachra x**


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